Street Fighter: Gill's Revenge
by Neon Majestic
Summary: The malevolent Gill has returned, and this time he doesn't intend to fail. Will his evil plans for global domination bring the world to armageddon? UPDATED PLENTY! READ AND SEE!
1. AUTHOR'S FORENOTE

**A Note from neomage: Be sure to read this before you proceed any further!**

Whether you're reading this for the first time, or if you've read it before and given your reviews, please make note of a few things. After getting a review citing Tiamat's official guide to Street Fighter, I went back and read the whole thing again and again, and have thus decided to make some changes in this story to keep it in line with the actual canon somewhat. However, most of it may not still be canon, but I don't really care much now as it's just fan-fiction. For those of you who've read it before, you'll note that I've made some major changes near the end of the story, but for the sake of potential newbies I won't spoil the surprise, and neither should you.

So, happy reading, all you wonderful people at Now, on with the show!


	2. PROLOGUE The Horsemen Are Chosen

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

PROLOGUE

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Urien could not help but wonder. Ever since the defeat of his brother Gill in the third Street Fighter tournament, things had taken a very strange turn. The elders, instead of punishing Gill for his failure, gave him a much higher rank - that of Emperor of the organization. He himself had, in turn, been given Gill's old spot, the presidency of the syndicate; running the major business affairs as he saw fit, ordering slaves and henchmen about; but ultimately, just as before, Urien still had to answer to Gill.

To be sure, Urien had sickened at the idea of always being subservient to his older brother. He could not help it, after all, that Gill was much more powerful and much more experienced than he could ever hope to be. Urien resented always being in Gill's shadow, but he swore that, one day, things would certainly be different.

Now, as he observed the two men standing before the Emperor's throne, Urien wondered just what Gill had in mind for them. He knew well who they were, all right. Both were known criminals in the underworld; one was a former operative of the fallen Shadowloo empire, and the other was allegedly the leader of the up-and-coming Mad Gear syndicate. One was clothed in military apparel; the other had long, blond hair, and his face was hidden behind a metal mask. Both had their reputations, of course; but for what reason would Gill waste his time to see them? As far as Urien was concerned, they were trash that didn't deserve to see great men like himself or Gill.

Gill was seated on the throne, looking at the two men with a critical eye. He was shrouded in shadow, and the room was rather poorly lit, anyway, so neither of the two could see him very well. It was well that they didn't, for the first sight of him would have given them leeway to label him as a freak. He had blond hair, and one half of his entire body was as red as the skin of a boiled lobster, while the other half looked extremely frostbitten. But appearances, for him, didn't matter. His appearance only marked the extent of his true powers, as far as he was concerned.

"Gentlemen, I thank you for coming on such short notice," he began, speaking in a majestic voice that demanded attention. "Now, then, to the business at hand."

The two men said nothing. Urien said nothing.

"You have both been defeated before. You have both experienced failure and weakness. However, both of you have the potential to overcome that weakness. You both possess extraordinary skills that would be of great assistance to our great order."

He turned to the first man, the Mad Gear leader. "You who are called Rolento, once served as a mere lackey to the Mad Gear gang. Ever since its disintegration by the authorities, you have been working in secret to revive the organization. Allow me to help you, and your group will become a force that not even all the world's governments can stop. All I ask in return is that you pledge your allegiance to me."

Then he turned to the other man, the former Shadowloo operative. "You, Vega, were once one of the 'Four Lords of Shadowloo,' ranking only below Sagat and your former master, Bison. You were a great assassin whose skill as a warrior knew no equal. Join me, and I will give you all the glory you possessed as a Shadowloo enforcer...and even more."

Neither of the men said anything. Gill continued, "We need both of you..._I_ need both of you. Together, we can take this world by storm. You will have anything you desire: unlimited riches, a country to rule as your own - even revenge, if you so desire."

The military man, Rolento, spoke for the first time. "Hmmm…well, your offer sounds very intriguing," he admitted. "And if what you say is true, then the Mad Gear would truly become a great army...but how can I be sure that what you say _is_ true?"

Gill leaned forward in his chair. "I hold incredible influence in every government across the globe. I control presidents, kings, senators, military generals, and even customs officials. On your own power, you would not be able to capture any country, in spite of your great skill as a military leader. With my help, though, nobody, not even the Special Forces, would be able to stand in your way."

Rolento mused over the prospect. Then he grinned. "All right, then, Mr. Gill. You can count me in."

Gill nodded his approval. "And you, Vega? What will you do?"

Hidden behind the mask, it would be difficult to tell just what emotion Vega's face held. But his voice told the whole story, bitterly. "_Señor_, I have given up on revenge. Chun Li defeated me twelve years ago, in Bison's tournament, and took the only thing that meant anything away from me. I have had to hide my face behind this mask ever since. _Sí_, your offer sounds like a good one, but even if I attain revenge, what will be the point if I can never retrieve what she stole?"

Gill chuckled softly. "You need not underestimate my power, Vega. As well as being an influential political mastermind and a great military leader, I also control various top medical figures across the world. At the snap of a finger, I can summon any one of them here. Some of them are the greatest reconstruction surgeons the world has ever known. Any one of them can relieve you of your problem...and make your face as flawless as if it had never been scarred."

Slowly, Vega removed his mask. It was hard to see in the poor light, but Urien could make out the form of a grisly scar running down the entire length of the left side of Vega's face. Vega himself was fingering the scar gingerly. "You...you can do that...for me?" he whispered.

"That I can...and more," Gill replied. "And for your interest, I also have access to the legendary Fountain of Youth. Drink from that spring, and you will never age a minute older. You will be young and handsome forever."

Rolento looked skeptical, but Vega was very much up for it. "Then, if that is the case," he said, "I accept your offer, _Señor_ Gill."

Gill nodded his approval again. "Well done," he said. "Both of you have chosen wisely." He then looked over at Urien, and chuckled as he nodded.


	3. CHAPTER 01 The Die is Cast

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 1

MT. FUJIYAMA, JAPAN

Hidden away in Mount Fujiyama, Ryu was training at the old dojo. It had been nearly seven years since he'd last been here, to pay his respects to his deceased Master Gouken and to train. As he always did, Ryu came here only when he needed solace from the rest of the world. The only reason he didn't come more often was because, along with good memories, this place also held many bad ones that continued to haunt him.

At this very moment, Ryu was training the strength of his chi energy. Already he had mastered the physical art of Ansatsuken Karate; now, he was making an attempt to hone and harness his chi to its fullest power. He was sitting cross-legged in front of the ancient dragon statue that had always been part of the decoration for Master Gouken's training grounds. Clad only in his gi pants, Ryu's eyes were closed as he concentrated on nothing but the serenity of his surroundings.

As he did, he could feel his chi swelling up from inside him and enveloping his entire being bit by bit. If he'd opened his eyes, he would have noticed that his entire body was covered in a blue aura. Then, very slowly, he cupped his palms together and concentrated some of his energy into them. Flipping up onto his feet, he concentrated more energy into his hands. As the pure blue energy of his chi crackled in his hands, he suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was on the dragon statue before him.

"HADOKEN!"

He positioned his arms outward and opened out his hands, releasing the energy into a giant ball of chi. The ball slammed into the statue, exploding with the impact. Ryu wasn't fazed by this, but remained in his stance, watching as the Hadoken blast did its work. Presently the energy dissipated - but the results were slightly disappointing. Only the upper body of the statue had been destroyed.

Ryu sank down, wearied from the effort. _I have spent many months here at the old dojo, training my energy,_ he though to himself, _but always it never seems to reach its limit. Something is missing - but what? What could it be that I could possibly lack?_

These questions were fixed in his mind as though they'd been branded there with a hot iron. Ryu thought back to all those years ago, when both he and Ken Masters had trained here with Gouken. Then came the very first Street Fighter tournament, which he had won, but only narrowly. Ever since then, Ryu had won every tournament he'd ever entered, defeating many powerful opponents in the process. Sagat, the host of the first tournament; M. Bison, the leader of the diabolical organization Shadowloo and the host of the various Alpha tournaments and the second Street Fighter tournament; and most recently the man known as Gill, the leader of an evil secret society and the host of the third tournament. Along the way, Ryu had met and made many rivals out of the different fighters from all across the globe. Among those were some of the best friends he could have ever made, including Chun Li, William Guile, and of course, Ken himself.

_All of them had some purpose in their lives,_ Ryu mused to himself. _Could that be it? Is that the reason I cannot reach my fullest potential yet?_

For as long as he could remember, all Ryu had ever dedicated himself to was becoming the perfect warrior. Of course, everyone who saw his fighting skills said that he was the best; but he knew better. He knew that he was not a true master of his art, and he was constantly trying to uncover the secret to becoming one. But what bothered him the most were three questions Master Gouken had always told the boys to remember:

"What is the meaning of victory? What is the meaning of the fight? What is the purpose of the warrior's fist?"

_How can I find this out?_ Ryu kept wondering to himself. _Who can I go to, to ask these questions and receive straight answers? When will these nagging thoughts finally be relieved?_

Sighing, Ryu got up and reached for his gi jacket, lying on a rock nearby. _I need to go to the one person who could help me with this problem,_ he mused to himself as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and started to walk out of the dojo. _I need to see that person as soon as possible..._

LONDON, ENGLAND

"You wished to see me, sir?"

The man behind the desk tipped the ash from his cigar into the tray before him. "That is correct, Agent White. MI-6 has another mission for you."

Cammy sighed and shifted her body weight from one leg to the other. _I hope this mission will be a better one than that rat's-assed mission you boys sent me on last time,_ she thought to herself. Aloud she asked, "What shall I do this time, sir?"

The MI-6 leader reached into a drawer, pulled out a file jacket and handed it to Cammy. "This mission will be a very dangerous one, Agent White. So, before I ask you to accept it, I'm going to give you all the details."

Cammy flipped through the file jacket, noting several pictures of two men, one of whom looked like a blue and red - for lack of a better word - FREAK. "Those two men there," explained the leader, "go by the names 'Gill' and 'Urien.' Those may be aliases, but that isn't important. What's important is that according to the latest reports we've had from our agents in the field, Gill - the colorful bloke you see there - is the leader of a very dangerous criminal syndicate, the name of which is still unknown to us, and Urien is his younger brother and alleged second-in-command."

"That I wouldn't doubt, sir," said Cammy, studying the pictures of the two men. "So, then, what is my mission?"

The leader pulled two photographs out of his drawer and handed them to her. "A few days ago," he said, "three of our agents reported that these two men joined forces with Gill's organization. One of them you probably know already - Vega, the Shadowloo assassin."

Cammy froze. She studied the photographs, and her blood turned to ice water. Indeed, the man in one of the photos was her most hated enemy - Vega, one of the famed "Four Lords of Shadowloo," and their most dangerous assassin. More than ten years of bitter memory rushed back into Cammy's mind, like a flood, in an instant.

She remembered how, back then, she had been sent by MI-6 to bring down Shadowloo's empire in Thailand. Having been suffering from amnesia, Cammy had been seeking Shadowloo's leader, M. Bison, as she felt that he knew things about her past that he could tell her. But to be told that she was once a Shadowloo operative and his former lover, and then to be nearly killed by Vega in the ensuing fight...

Cammy shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "Yes, sir, I remember him," she affirmed. "But who's the other man?"

"His name is Rolento Shugerg," said the leader. "He's the leader of a dangerous gang known as 'Mad Gear' that was creating quite a stir in Metro City, U.S.A., some years back. Mad Gear's got some extremely heavy artillery - almost a small army in itself. Joining forces with Gill could make Rolento a highly dangerous criminal to deal with."

"So...my mission is to find and stop their operations, and bring the men to justice," said Cammy.

"That's right," said the leader. He fingered his cigar thoughtfully. "Of course," he added, "you don't have to take this mission if you don't want to. After all, it's a highly dangerous one, as I said before; it could even be suicidal, by logical terms. We know that Gill's syndicate is dangerous enough on its own, more so than Shadowloo ever was; and with the combined power of Rolento's army and Vega's assassin skills, this could become a powerful machine you'd be up against. I've only brought this to you because you're the best agent in your group. And, besides...the orders I'm giving you now are direct orders from the Prime Minister himself. For him, it's a matter of national security, but knowing what you'll be up against, it could be even more than that."

Cammy took a deep breath, looking at the photographs again. Her heart beat with fury at the sight of Vega's face. This would be a perfect opportunity to pay him back for almost killing her all those years ago. She still had the scars from that fateful battle, and while time had healed the physical wounds, the memory remained deep inside her.

"I accept, sir."

DALLAS, TEXAS, U.S.A.

William Guile sat back impatiently in the seat of his '95 Jeep, driving home from work. He wanted, more than anything right now, to be near his family again. Ever since ten years ago, he always made sure that he had time for them, even with a schedule as busy as his. He only hoped that Jane, his wife, wasn't going to be making meatloaf again.

As he drove along, Guile thought back to the last ten or so years since he'd entered a ring to fight. Back then, he'd been in the Army, making a name for himself as an American hero. Along with his fellow soldiers, he'd gone here and there in the heat of battle, bringing glory to their country with every victory.

Then came the dreaded mission. Guile and his best friend, Charlie Nash, were both sent to Thailand to bring down the criminal empire Shadowloo and its leader, Bison. After a long while, they finally managed to find Bison's base, but in the end it exploded, taking Charlie with it. What made Guile hurt so much was that Charlie forced him to leave, so that he could ensure that Bison got swept in the blast, as well. But, as it turned out, Bison had survived, after all, making Charlie's death a total waste.

Enraged, Guile had then set out on a mission to find Bison and make him pay for Charlie's life. Entering the Street Fighter tournament had proved to be a big break for Guile, as he quickly made new allies in the fight against Shadowloo, and even took down one of their top henchmen, Balrog, in the contest. Eventually, though, Guile had had to stand on the sidelines and watch while the defending Street Fighter champion, Ryu, took down Bison himself.

To be frank, Guile had felt quite jealous at first at the fact that it was not he, but a total stranger, who defeated Bison. Guile had no complaints after that, though; as long as Bison was finished, then witnessing his enemy's defeat turned out to be the best sort of revenge Guile could ever have gotten. And then to be reunited right then and there with his wife and daughter - that was something he would forever treasure. Even though the Army court-martialed him later for going AWOL on them, that didn't matter. He'd found a job as a P.E. instructor at the local high school, and because of his reputation he quickly gained popularity.

Guile sighed. He could only imagine what would happen that evening as soon as he got home. He'd stopped at the boutique and purchased a lovely corsage for Jane, with the intention of taking her out to the movies later that evening. Amy, his now 22-year-old daughter, was home from college for the summer, and he could imagine the two women in the kitchen at this moment, making something for dinner. By the time he got home, dinner would probably be right there on the table waiting for him, and he would probably eat it and complement it, although Amy really wasn't much of a good cook. Then, while she went out with friends as she often did now, Guile and Jane could take some time and be alone together.

Guile pulled up in the driveway, smiling as he took up the bouquet of lilies and roses. Jane always did like roses, he knew. And he also knew that this was how it was going to be from now on; he had given up street fighting long ago, deeming himself too old now for that sort of stuff. He pushed the key into the lock, opened the door and walked in, hoping to smell something (as long as it wasn't meatloaf) cooking, and to hear the glad voices of Jane and Amy welcoming him home.

Then he stopped and stared in disbelief.

Inside, the house was trashed. Furniture was broken, chairs were overturned, paper and the carpets were completely ripped up, and in the kitchen nearby glass was on the floor, the doors to the cupboards broken off and everything inside thrown out and onto the ground. The bouquet slipped from Guile's hand, and his jaw dropped as he surveyed the scene. Suddenly snapping back to his senses, he rushed inside, calling the girls' names. Inside his and Jane's bedroom, the bed was completely ripped up, and on the floor was Jane's purse, the contents scattered all over. As he saw this, Guile realized - this had not been a robbery attempt; this was a message. A message meant for him.

Guile felt a boil of anger rising from his gut to his chest. He growled like an animal, and as the rage consumed him, he suddenly started lashing out at everything in sight - furniture, the walls, anything he could hit. As he punched and kicked, Guile could feel his chi energy rising - that force he thought had been dormant for so long since the tournament. It came up in a rush, and he channeled it into his fists and feet, adding more damage to everything. Finally, he welled up as much energy as he could summon into both his palms, forming his trademark Sonic Boom, then unleashing the energy when it became too painful to hold in anymore. The blast slammed into the wall, completely shattering the blocks holding it in place and sending pieces of rubble flying outward.

Guile sank down on one knee, but he was far from being exhausted or through. The rage was slowly disappearing, being replaced by a cold, disgusted resolve. Whoever had destroyed his home and kidnapped his family would pay a very high price for it. _They will pay,_ he swore to himself. _They will pay!_


	4. CHAPTER 02 Warriors Emerge

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 2

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Ken Masters settled into his chair, relaxing. He turned to look out the window of his office, watching the people in the streets below scurrying to leave here and go there and do whatever. Ken chuckled to himself. At least, for him, his life was in order and balance, unlike the many commuters outside.

Ken fingered the paperwork before him, musing back over the last couple of years. Ever since the third Street Fighter tournament, Ken had decided to take it easy, being a husband to Eliza and a father to their son, Melvin. Ken had taken over his father's computer company quite successfully, and it was turning into an even more profitable business than ever before, adding to the Masters family's already large income. _Well, being rich has always had its advantages,_ he mused.

But life has not always been this way for Ken. He could still remember all the years gone by, when he and Ryu trained together under the tutelage of Master Gouken. Ken had always been the more arrogant of the two, but studying under Gouken, the many battles he and Ryu fought together, and his marriage to Eliza and Mel's birth - all this had tamed the wild beast that had always been part of Ken's personality, although not completely. At times his blood would boil at the idea of a rematch with Ryu - they'd pledged this to each other ever since the very first Street Fighter tournament.

Ken smiled as he thought back to all those battles years before. Twenty years ago he'd been nothing more than a hotheaded fighter who swore that nobody would beat him. That is, until his narrow defeat to Ryu in the competition, and in several tournaments after that. Ken had been quite furious at times, but eventually he conceded that Ryu was the better fighter. That admission came around the same time Mel was born. Ken had to admit, sometimes he yearned for the old days when he and Ryu fought with or against each other in tournament combat or against warriors like Sagat or M. Bison or even Gill, but even so he didn't regret the choice he'd made - to remain a family man from now on.

The fact of the matter was, he had a good life now. A good marriage...a great son...a powerful position as CEO of the family company...and the now-defunct title of American Martial Arts Champion. Ken chuckled as he thought of this last; shortly after the first tournament, he'd come back to the United States, where he'd made a great name for himself by beating the former champion, Allen Snider, for the title. It was here that he'd met Eliza, and from that time on they were a couple.

Ken reached for the remote on his desk and switched the TV on. The midday news was on, but nothing was there that really interested him. Foiled bank robberies, an increase in the stock market flow, a declaration by the President about the increase of taxes...Ken had gotten quite used to some of these by now.

Then, the news anchor started on a new item: "Our newsroom has just received reports that a massive gang has destroyed Metro City."

At once Ken's senses snapped to attention. _Metro City!_ his mind raged. _But that place isn't very far from Seattle!_ He listened as the news anchor went on, "The gang, alleged to be the notorious Mad Gear organization, came into the city with guns blazing, as they looted stores and drove several tanks throughout the city streets. Four citizens and six police officers were killed during the attack, and several more citizens were critically wounded when a mortar shell from one of the tanks hit a local supermarket. There was also an alleged attack on the Mayor's office, where Mayor Michael Haggar was wounded while trying to defend himself against the attackers."

_This is bad,_ Ken thought to himself. He was well aware of the troublesome Mad Gear gang and the problems that one of his past allies, Guy, had had with them while helping the authorities in Metro City defeat them. _To top it off,_ he recalled, _Guy told me that one of their bad boys, Rolento, was making a military organization out of them..._

The phone ringing on his desk interrupted his train of thought. Annoyed, he switched the TV off and picked up the receiver. "Yes, Ms. Houston, what is it?"

"There's a personal call for you, sir...it's your wife."

Ken sighed. Eliza was probably calling to tell him that her parents were going to be over for dinner tonight. "All right, put her through."

He waited a moment before he heard his wife's voice - but it was a quavery, shaky voice that said, "H-hello?"

At once Ken knew something was wrong. "Eliza, honey, what's the matter?"

On the other end, he could hear quiet sobbing and whimpering. "Ken...please...come home right now..."

"Why, Eliza? Has something happened?" Ken was really starting to get worried. "Please, tell me!"

It was about ten seconds before she spoke again. "They...they came here five minutes ago, Ken...they've demolished everything...they took Mel..." At this point she broke down into heavy sobbing.

"Who, Eliza? Who did that to you!" Ken demanded.

"The...the Mad Gear gang."

Ken nearly dropped the phone. _The...Mad Gear gang!_ "All right, honey. I'm coming home right now!" He slammed the receiver back into its cradle and, grabbing his coat, dashed out the door. _They've taken my son...they've hurt my wife...I'll never forgive them!_

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Guile got out of the taxi, in front of the luxurious Cowboy Retreat Hotel. This place, recently erected, was known for its hospitability to guests and the Old West theme placed every weekend; but he wasn't here because of that. This was where he was supposed to be.

After having calmed down from his fury (which had been admittedly difficult), he had started a search of the entire house for clues to the identity of the kidnappers. In Amy's room there was a message on a sheet of notepaper, taped to the mirror, which stated that Jane and Amy would come to no harm if Guile followed the instructions that went with the note. Guile was to take the bus to Austin, then take a cab to the Cowboy Retreat Hotel, where there would be a reservation for a room signed in his name. Then, he was to wait there until further instructions came to him.

He went through the front doors and went up to the receptionist's desk. After signing his name on the reservation list and receiving his room keys, he took the elevator to the fourth floor. Upon arrival, he looked around for Room 43 - the room he was supposed to take - and finally found it.

Entering the room, he threw down his duffel bag on the floor, then took a good look at himself in the mirror, chuckling as he did. His hair was very untidy, his face was old and haggard looking and was beginning to sprout the first traces of beard hair, and his eyes, sunken in from stress and lack of sleep, burned with a dangerous, hateful light. For all he knew, he looked like a raving lunatic. No wonder the cabbie had given him such a fearful look and driven him straight to the hotel, no questions asked! And he HAD noticed the strange looks the receptionist and several guests and staff members had been giving him the minute he walked in. Guile decided that if he was going to be out in public, he needed to straighten himself out first.

Guile went to the bathroom and showered, then shaved. Taking an electric shear from his bag, he shaved off about one and a half inches of hair from the top of his spiky mane. Going through his bag again, he selected a plain white T-shirt and blue jeans. Finally dressed and feeling more human than most, Guile then fell forward on his bed, and in a matter of minutes was sound asleep.

He couldn't have been sleeping more than half an hour when the phone in his room suddenly rang, loud and long. Jumping awake with a start, he grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" he said, urgently.

On the other end of the line came a raspy laugh; then a voice spoke, in a vulgar-sounding British accent. "Why, 'ello, Guile, ol' chap! So glad to see you're following instructions so far, but you're not done yet!"

_That voice - it sounds familiar,_ Guile realized. _But where could I have heard it before?_ "Who are you? Where are my wife and daughter?" he demanded.

"Now, now, ol' boy, you're in no position to be raisin' your voice," said the caller. "Now, listen. Tonight, we want you to give a little demonstration."

"What do you mean, mister? What sort of demonstration?"

"You'll see," said the caller. "Now, then. Tonight at seven, a taxi will come for you, to take you to the place where your 'demonstration' will be shown. Be seein' you then, bud." And, with a sneering laugh from the man, the line went dead. Furious, Guile ripped the phone from the wall and flung it across the room.

A few minutes later Guile emerged back downstairs. He looked much neater now, and everything about him looked orderly, but his eyes still looked like blazing coals. If anyone took one look at his face at that moment, they would have turned and ran off. As for Guile, only one thing was on his mind - whoever had called him just now knew the answers to his questions. And tonight, he was going to get some answers, or someone's eyes or heart would be in the palm of his hand. _But this I know for certain,_ he swore through his teeth, _I'll never rest until I have Jane and Amy back again!_

THE OUTSKIRTS OF BARCELONA, SPAIN

Cammy studied the mansion on the hill before her. Through two of her contacts, she'd been able to find Vega's old residence here, outside of Barcelona. She had been informed, however, that in the last four months all of Vega's servants had been sent away, and he had been living as a recluse ever since. It certainly looked as if nobody lived here, since the lawn was getting rather high and unkempt, the walls of the place were cracked and needed paint, and as she passed the flower garden on the way to the front door, Cammy noted that weeds were growing in place of the roses and other flowers, which were wilted and fading. Obviously the master of the house would have never allowed that, ten years ago. _He did have good taste, I'll give him that,_ she mused to herself.

Pushing the door open, she stepped in and stared. Inside looked even worse than outside, as shattered glass was everywhere. Broken mirrors gave testament to that glass on the floor. Cammy remembered the fight between Chun Li and Vega during the Street Fighter tournament; during that battle, Chun Li had used her Lightning Kick to defeat Vega, scarring his face in the process. It appeared that his pride must have been scarred, as well, for him to destroy his mirrors like this.

But what disturbed Cammy as she surveyed the room further was the blood on the white carpet under her feet. Someone must have been walking barefoot on the broken glass, for dried blood was all over the floor and carpet. Most likely Vega, she surmised. She wouldn't put that past him. After all, his mind had snapped thanks to his defeat to Chun Li.

She walked through the different rooms, noting everything in sight. Formerly exotic furniture pieces were permanently marred by what appeared to be deep fingernail marks; beautiful paintings were ripped and shredded apart; in fact anything to do with beauty was forever marred. Disturbing.

Presently she beheld a statuette of Vega's head on a mantelpiece. Walking over to it, she observed that it was badly scratched. She held the piece in her hands and turned the head from side to side, inspecting. A close look showed a long, deep scraping in the left side of the face. This probably represented the scar he had gotten from Chun Li. Gingerly, repressing the urge to smash the piece, Cammy carefully put it back in place.

"If you are looking for Vega, he is not here," said a voice behind Cammy.

She spun around, instinctively in combat pose. "Who's there?" she demanded loudly. "Show your bloody face!"

"No need to get so violent, Agent White," the voice said again, and then, from behind one of the columns in the hallway appeared a woman of great beauty. Immediately Cammy was transfixed: the woman was dressed in red and purple, with a yellow scarf wrapped around her neck and shoulders. Even her hair was lavender, and she stepped with a certain grace that was as beautiful as it was sturdy and sure. But Cammy then noted a certain chi power emanating from the woman, and stayed on her guard.

"Who are you?" she asked. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, forgive my manners," said the woman. "My name is Rose. I have been tracking Vega for some time now, and I believe I know just where he is."

"I already know," said Cammy. "He's supposedly working for some crime boss named Gill."

"Ah, you know about that," said Rose softly. "But I must warn you, Cammy - there is much about Gill and his organization that even your Special Intelligence agency does not know. If you are to face him, you will need all the help you can get."

"Maybe," said Cammy. "But by the way, you still haven't answered part of my question. How did you know my name?"

Rose smiled a little. "That," she replied, "is a story for another time. First things first, we must concentrate on the mission, and form an alliance. After all, we both want to have Vega's head on a platter, do we not? Then it would be in our best interest to work together."

Cammy sighed. She didn't exactly trust this woman, but if she could give a few leads to Vega, then Cammy was willing to play along, even if only for a short time.

THE JUNGLES OF THAILAND

Pain. Anger. Revenge. These words would never be erased from Sagat's memory. Ever since Shadowloo's downfall, he had hidden himself away in Thailand, concealing himself from the looming authorities hunting down any remaining Shadowloo operatives. And as he hid, these three words burned in the back of his mind. The pain of the great 20-year-old scar on his chest. The anger at the one who put it there - the warrior named Ryu. The thoughts of revenge against his most hated enemy and greatest rival.

At this very moment, Sagat was punching and kicking at trees in his path. This was part of his new training program to hone his fighting skill and strengthen his chi attacks. Every so often, he would charge his fists with enough energy to flatten an entire forest with one strike. Then, finally, he channeled orange energy into his palms and fired it out in his legendary Tiger strike, a move that had always managed to find its mark in its enemies - all save one: Ryu.

"TIGER!" he shouted as he released the immense energy. It formed into a giant ball of flame, completely incinerating a couple of trees and the entire length of the path. All who knew of this attack's immense power spoke of it with deep respect, for it was one of the most dangerous techniques in the known world of fighting.

Exhausted from his run, Sagat sank down and looked at his hands, calloused and rough from endless training. Then he fingered his scar, cringing as he recalled the number of times Ryu had defeated him, and then how Ryu's friend Ken Masters had defeated Sagat in Bison's tournament. Sagat swore silently, day after day, that both of them would pay dearly for humiliating him.

He leaned against a tree, in order to catch his breath. Then, quite suddenly, he was aware that he was no longer alone. Someone, or something, was here with him. "Who's there?" he barked, not feeling in the mood for visitors. "Go away! Leave me be!"

Silence. Then, out of the shadows of the tree line, a figure appeared. Sagat recognized him at once - red, spiky hair, black karate gi, and dark eyes...this figure could only be one person. Akuma.

"What do you want with me, Akuma?" asked Sagat, on his guard. From the rumors and reports he'd heard, Akuma could not be trusted. And Sagat himself was certainly not going to let Akuma take him without a fight.

"Calm yourself, Sagat," Akuma said, laughing a deep, throaty laugh and waving him away with one hand. "I am not here to fight with you."

"Then why ARE you here?" Sagat asked again.

"Listen well, Sagat," said Akuma, grinning razor-sharp teeth. "I have been observing your training for several days now and, clearly, you are getting better and better every time. But I have been observing Ryu, as well, and he, too, is reaching the limit of his training."

"What are you trying to say? That I will not be able to defeat him?" Sagat demanded. "If you have come to mock me, demon, then why not see just how much power I possess for yourself!"

"Now, now, my friend," the demon chuckled. "I mean no offense. What I'm merely saying is that in spite of all your training, Ryu will not become any weaker because of it. As you yourself know from experience, he trains constantly, striving to become the perfect, ultimate warrior."

"So what? What does this have to do with you?"

"It has everything to do with me, Sagat - EVERYTHING. That brings me to why I am here...I wish to make you an offer you simply cannot refuse. Join forces with me, and together we will..."

"Join with you?" Sagat interrupted, leaning back on the tree again. "Sorry, not interested."

"Let me finish," said Akuma. "I expect that you will want to see Ryu's friend, Ken Masters, destroyed as well, after your loss to him in Bison's tournament?"

Sagat glared at him.

"Well, I have news for you," said Akuma. "I, too, seek the destruction of Ken Masters, as he seeks me out for the death of his and Ryu's master many years ago. Now, if you and I were to join together, we would become a great force so powerful that even Ryu and Ken cannot stop us. And, here's the best part: While I deal with Ken, you can take care of Ryu. How does that sound?"

Sagat fingered his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm...quite a tempting offer," he admitted. "Just one thing, Akuma: Do not interfere with my fight, or it will cost you dearly."

Akuma chuckled. He knew that Sagat, for all his skill, could not defeat him, the true Ansatsuken master. Still, it would be an interesting thing to watch Sagat and Ryu fight. As far as Akuma was concerned, Ryu would never reach his true potential. It would be better to just finish him off now, and keep the dark power of the Messatsu for himself. He would watch while Sagat and Ryu beat each other to death, and then fight the winner. If, by some stroke of luck, Sagat won the bout, Akuma might not even fight him at all. After all, he had no grievance with Sagat, and vice versa. If Ryu won, it would be a pleasure to eliminate him completely.

"Very well. When you and he fight, I will not interfere."

For the first time, Sagat smiled, chuckling evilly. "Then, it seems we have a partnership, after all."


	5. CHAPTER 03 The Beginning of Payback

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 3

BEIJING, CHINA

Ryu studied the dojo carefully. He'd come here after traveling all night to reach China, and by asking for directions he had managed to find this place. The person he needed to see most was most certainly here, he felt sure. And that person would give him the answers he sought.

He went up to the front door and rang the bell twice, then waited. After a moment the door was opened by a pretty young girl in her teens, wearing a traditional Chinese kung fu outfit. "Hello, sir," she greeted him. "May I help you?"

"Uh - yes, I hope so," said Ryu. "Is the master of this school in right now?"

"Yes, the master is here," she replied. "Please, come this way."

Ryu obeyed, following the girl upstairs into a wide room where several dozen students were practicing various kung fu forms. _Wow,_ Ryu mused, _the master surely has been doing well._ He was then led across the hall to a door. Here the girl opened the door and indicated that Ryu should step in. He did so, and was astonished.

The room he was in was actually a small office, with three shelves filled with piles of books and apparent paperwork. Seated at the desk, busily engrossed in filling out some document of the sort, was a woman wearing glasses, with long, brown hair reaching past her shoulders. She looked up as he entered, and her face, like his own, took on a look of surprise.

"Ryu!" she exclaimed, a bright smile lighting up her countenance. "Who - where - this is - this is so unexpected! I never thought I'd see you again so soon!"

Ryu's face flushed, but he managed to maintain his composure. "Hello, Chun Li," he replied. "It's good to see you, too. How have you been?"

"Great...just wonderful, thank you," she answered. "Oh, I'm sorry; please, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Anything at all?"

Ryu seated himself in the chair in front of the desk. "Some water would be nice, thank you," he said.

Chun Li went over to a small refrigerator near her desk and, taking out a bottle of water, tossed it to Ryu. "Heads up."

Ryu nodded gratefully and opened the bottle, taking a good, long swig from it. Chun Li smiled as she watched him. "So, what brings you here to Beijing, Ryu?" she asked by way of conversation.

"Actually..." Ryu paused to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. "I was looking for you, Chun Li. You see, I have a slight...problem. I'm not sure how you're supposed to help me, or even if you can at all, but something just told me that I should find you before going to anyone else."

She seated herself again. "I see," she said. "All right, then. So, what kind of problem would the world's strongest warrior have?" she asked.

"Well, that's just it," Ryu began, his face now contorted into a worried frown. "You see, Chun Li...For the last two years since the third Street Fighter tournament, I have been in constant training, in order to hone my skills. However, as of late I feel as if something is holding me back, but I just can't seem to figure out what it is. I mean, I've mastered every aspect of Ansatsuken Karate there is to master...but I still feel as if I'm a long way from reaching my true potential."

Chun Li said nothing for a moment. When she did speak, her voice was low and grave. "Ryu," she said, "perhaps I CAN help you, after all. Why don't you stay here for tonight; tomorrow will be a free day, as it's a weekend and my students will not be coming for class. It will be a good time for us to train together. That way, maybe we will be able to discover just what it is that holds you back."

"I see," said Ryu. He leaned his head backward a little, listening to the students in the practice room training. "Speaking of which...to be honest, Chun Li, I know you're a good fighter, yet I never would've imagined you an instructor of martial arts."

"Well...fact of the matter is, this wasn't my dojo to begin with," admitted Chun Li, her head down a little. "It belonged to Master Gen at one time."

"Master Gen's dojo? Impressive," said Ryu, remembering the old friend of his master. "So, where is he, anyway?"

"He usually comes here to visit, ever since he handed ownership of the dojo to me," said Chun Li thoughtfully. "But I haven't seen him lately...perhaps he's gone somewhere."

"Perhaps."

She stood up, straightening her glasses. "Well...I'll have one of the senior students show you your room for tonight. I'll be having some tea later, so, if you'd like to join me...?"

Ryu was taken slightly aback. "Um - er - yes, yes, I would like that," he said quickly, blushing a little.

She smiled. "All right, then." And she exited the room.

Ryu just sat there, sweating profusely. _Wow...she looked kinda cute with the glasses and with her hair down like that..._ He jerked as he realized what he was saying to himself. _Wait a minute - why was I thinking that?_ The thought made him sweat even more and blush harder than ever.

SEATTLE GENERAL HOSPITAL, WASHINGTON

Ken paced up and down the corridor fretfully, wondering when any news about Eliza's condition would come to him. After coming home upon receiving Eliza's frantic call, he'd found her on the floor, passed out from pain - she'd been badly beaten by the Mad Gear gang. Next to her unconscious body he'd found a video with a message on it, straight from the gang, stating that they would hold his son unless he paid them 6 million as ransom.

Now, as he paced, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pushed one into his mouth. He'd never smoked once in his life, but now seemed like a good time to do so. Taking out a lighter, he prepared to strike the flame.

"I'd rather you didn't do that, Ken. Cigarette smoke disagrees with me."

Startled, Ken looked up. "Well, well...if it isn't Guy."

Leaning against the wall was a thin, lean man Ken knew only too well. He'd occasionally trained alongside Ryu and Ken many years ago, but had since returned to Metro City to help protect it against the ravages of the Mad Gear gang. Guy, the successor of the Bushin ninja school.

"I came as soon as I got your message," he said. "It's bad enough that the Mad Gear have returned and ravaged Metro City; but when they directly attack a close friend of mine, I have to intervene."

"Well, thanks for coming, Guy," Ken nodded, putting away the cigarette and lighter.

"How is she?" asked Guy, referring to Eliza with a head-nod toward the emergency room.

"I haven't heard anything yet," said Ken. "It could be good, or...it could be worse than we think. But that's only half of it. Guy, they took my son, too."

"Your son?" Guy, who rarely ever showed emotion, had a very surprised look on his face. "But why? What could they be after? Money? After all, you and your parents are very rich people."

"That's true," said Ken softly. "But somehow, I don't think it's just about money. Something about the way the Mad Gear attacked my family doesn't seem quite right."

"What do you mean?" asked Guy, folding his arms.

"Well...it's got to be about more than just a ransom. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but...it just doesn't seem right." Ken pushed his hands deep into his pockets, sighing heavily.

"I know," said Guy. "When they attacked Metro City, a lot of people were injured and killed...and the Mayor was hurt really badly. Of course, he'll make it, but..."

Guy was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the doctor. "Mr. Masters? Could I speak to you for a moment?" he asked, giving Guy a wary look.

Ken noticed the look. "Oh, this man's all right, doc," he said. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him."

"All right, if you say so," said the doctor. He cleared his throat and went on, "Your wife did sustain several injuries, but she'll be all right. But she will have to stay here for a while until we can be sure that she will make a full recovery. In the meantime, I suggest that you call all other family members and inform them of what's happened."

Ken nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

After the doctor left, Guy looked at Ken. "What will you do now, Ken?"

Ken sighed. Then he looked up, determination on his face. "I'm going to make them pay for what they did to my family, Guy. And I'm going to get my son, back, too."

"But what about your wife?" asked Guy.

"The rest of my family can take care of her...but as long as Mel is still out there, I'll never rest knowing he could die at any moment!" Ken slammed both fists together, sealing his decision. "Let's stop by my parents' place first, though. I need to inform them of what's happened...after that, it's time for payback."

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Guile stood before the mirror, carefully donning his old combat gear. He sort of figured that a 'demonstration' would mean a fight, so he was grateful that he'd packed his gear, just in case. He combed his hair back neatly, then sat down and waited for the phone to ring. He looked at his watch; it was two minutes to seven.

As he waited, Guile did his best to keep his fury bottled in. There would be plenty of time to unleash it later. He tried to pin a name to the voice of the mystery caller earlier that day, but every time he failed to tag a name to the voice. _Who could it have been?_ he kept wondering to himself.

At length the phone rang. Guile grabbed it and pressed the receiver close to his ear. "Hello?" he said.

"Your cab's downstairs, Guile. Don't keep the cabbie waiting."

Sighing, Guile replaced the phone and went downstairs, where a taxi was waiting for him. He stepped in, and they drove off.

For most of the drive, Guile tried to interrogate the driver, but all he got was blank silence. _Never mind,_ he chided himself, _the cabbie's probably just following orders. I suppose he wouldn't know a thing about what's happening or why they're pulling me around on puppet strings like this._ So, giving up, Guile settled back into the seat.

At length the taxi pulled off the main road and drove along on a dirt track. The track had a rather large tent at the end, and it was here that the taxi stopped. Taking this as his cue to get out, Guile exited the car and, though he really didn't have to, he flipped a quarter to the driver. Bracing himself, he stepped through the tent's open flap.

To his amazement, the tent was full of people. These were undoubtedly the spectators who were here to watch his fight. The great majority of them appeared to be gang members, while a few looked like rich bidders. Grunting with disgust, Guile made his way to the ring erected in the middle of the tent.

Near the ring, Guile saw and instantly recognized the promoter - Birdie. As soon as he saw him, Guile gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. _THAT'S the guy who called me on the phone!_ Walking up to him, he swore that he was going to get some answers, or so help him, Birdie would pay a very heavy price.

Birdie seemed rather happy to see Guile. "Why, ol' chap, how nice to see you again!" he chirped, grinning. "Never would've thought that this would be the way we'd meet up after all these years."

Guile knew that Birdie, once a small lackey for Shadowloo, was now a member of the infamous Mad Gear gang. No doubt, he suddenly realized, this was the gang's doing all along. "Where's my family, you bastard?" he shouted.

"Oh, now, now, soldier-boy; you don't really expect me to just TELL you that, now, do you?" asked Birdie.

"Oh, I expect you to start coughing up what I want to know," said Guile, narrowing his eyes, "or else you'll be coughing up your guts."

"Hey, hey, hey, man - you're not in any position to be THREATENING me, Guile," said Birdie, his voice suddenly taking on a serious tone. "You're the vulnerable one, and for now you'll do as we say. Or else you'll never see your family again."

Guile growled angrily. "Why, you -"

Just then a big man appeared behind Birdie. This man was wearing an ancient Samurai mask, and he had two swords at his side. "Now, now, Guile; Sodom here doesn't like when you threaten me, you see," said Birdie. "Oh, and by the way, he's gonna be your opponent. So, if you know what's good for you, you'd better get into that ring and fight, mate." He winked at Guile. "It's a two-way street now."

Snarling at Birdie, Guile stepped through the ropes of the ring and turned to watch as Sodom passed into the ring, as well. Guile's first thought was that he should dispatch Sodom right now and save himself a whole bundle of time. After all, it would be easy, seeing as to how Sodom was so gigantic. His size would probably make him slow.

Sodom unsheathed his swords and held one in each hand. Without waiting for an introduction, he rushed in, slashing like mad. Guile merely charged up energy and performed his Sonic Boom, knocking Sodom back as far as possible. Sodom then tried to rush in, scraping the tips of his swords along the ground and bringing them upward in a cross-slash; but Guile swerved aside, then dived in, grabbing his astonished opponent around the torso. He bent over backwards and plowed Sodom into the ground. As the huge Samurai-wannabe got up, dazed, Guile executed his Flash Kick, sending Sodom sailing. Finally, Sodom jumped back up, in a rage, and charged at Guile, the horn on the top of his helmet glowing with the force of his energy. Guile merely performed another Sonic Boom, this one sending Sodom flying out of the ring and into the crowd of spectators. Those not close enough to catch Sodom went into one giant burst of cheering.

But Guile wasn't done just yet. He jumped out of the ring and strolled up to Birdie, who was shaking his head at the awesome power Guile had just displayed. "Blimey," he said to the huge soldier. "Looks like you haven't lost your touch aftAAAAWWWWWWKK!"

Birdie reeled from a direct punch to the face, falling backward. The cheering crowd now started screaming, many of those nearby starting a stampede as they rushed in a desperate attempt to get away from the angry Guile. Birdie got up, stunned. "Wait a minute, mate! This isn't going to help you any -" but he was cut short by Guile's Sonic Boom, right in the face, knocking him down again. Finally Birdie got up, bleeding and shaking with rage. "All right, soldier-boy, if that's how you want it, then let's do this!"

With that Birdie charged at Guile with the speed of a bullet train, his Mohawk glowing with the force of his chi. But Guile wasn't about to allow this loser to pull him around like a dog on a leash any longer. He charged up energy in his hands and feet, sending out Sonic Boom after Sonic Boom at Birdie. The Englishman got hit five times and was sent reeling, but Guile wasn't done. Rushing in, and charging up even more energy than he'd ever remembered unleashing, he performed his Sonic Break, a series of hand and foot movements that, on one hit, caused Birdie to spit out blood. To put the seal on his rage, Guile flipped upside down three times in his Somersault Justice attack, the force of his anger strengthening it beyond anything he'd ever known. The light from the chi energy was so bright that Guile was nearly blinded; but when he landed on his feet again, there was no doubt in his mind that Birdie was dead. His body looked like it had been slashed open with a giant razor, and blood was everywhere; his eyes were wide open and rolled over, his mouth open in a silent scream of death.

The formerly screaming crowd was now silent, very silent; and when Guile turned and started to walk out of the tent, those in his way quickly stepped aside to allow him room to pass. As he reached outside, he found that the taxi that had brought him there was waiting for him. He got in and slammed the door. Then, in a very soft and cold voice: "All right, driver. Take me back to my hotel."


	6. CHAPTER 04 Revelation of the Past

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 4

NAPLES, ITALY

"Okay...so, tell me again why we're in Italy?" asked Cammy. "As far as I know, we're supposed to be hunting Vega down...so why did we have to come all the way here?"

They were seated together in a café, Rose sipping away at a cup of herbal tea. The night before, they'd taken a plane from Barcelona and flown to Naples, where Rose said they could get information as to their next move. Cammy, however, didn't think so.

"If we are looking for Vega, then chances are that we will not find him anywhere in Spain," Rose told her. "You see, Cammy, I have very reliable sources, sources that will not fail to give me any necessary information as to the whereabouts of Gill's operations. Wherever Gill is, Vega is sure to be there, too."

Cammy grumbled a bit, but she knew that Rose was right. "All right, then," she agreed. "So, then, are they operating here in Naples?"

"According to my sources, they are," said Rose. "The word out here on the street is that some of Gill's men are moving a very important shipment to an island in the Mediterranean. That island's where Gill's main base of operations is located."

_Makes sense,_ Cammy thought to herself. _After all, a crime boss WOULD want to carry out his operations as inconspicuously as possible. Funny thing, though; it's almost a cliché - an evil syndicate's secret base on an island in the middle of nowhere. But it's perfect - setting up shop on an island doubtlessly not marked on any map, and one that the authorities wouldn't bother investigating._

But one thing bothered her. "Rose, I've been meaning to ask," she said. "Where are your contacts? It's as if they don't possess flesh and blood, and frankly, it unnerves me."

Rose chuckled. "You're right, Cammy - they don't," and here she whipped out two cards from her sleeve. Curious, Cammy examined the cards.

"Tarot cards?" she asked, in surprise. "You're a fortune-teller?"

"Of some sort, yes," said Rose. "It's what I usually do for a living. Of course, I have my human sources, too, but most of the time they're fortune-tellers like myself. Usually, though, the information I get from them is correct."

Cammy shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't quite believe in mystical stuff," she said, then hastened to add, "Of course, the chi forces I can comprehend, but - magic? Isn't that going a little far, Rose?"

"You are not alone in your skepticism, Cammy," answered Rose, taking a sip of her tea. "Over the years I have met many people who have scoffed at the idea of magic and the spirit world, but I assure you it is very real. For spiritualists like myself, it would be extremely dangerous to be ignorant of the subject, or to pretend it doesn't exist when it does."

"I see," said Cammy. She remained silent for a moment, as a sudden thought occurred to her. "By the way," she asked, "you seem to know a lot about who I am, Rose, yet I barely even know you. Tell me, who are you, really? And, why are you helping me?"

Rose did not look up for a moment. When she finally did, her voice was low and very serious. "There is indeed a good reason why I am offering my help to you, Cammy," she said. "Sometime ago, Gill tried to brainwash me into doing his bidding - he tried to make me a puppet for his army. Of course, he failed, but I barely managed to escape with my life. Since then, I have devoted myself to destroying his entire organization."

As Rose spoke, Cammy felt an eerie sense of deja vu - almost like her own past. In that instant memories of Bison and Shadowloo came flooding back. Haunting her. Tormenting her. She'd stubbornly refused to believe that she could have loved - or even worked for - a madman such as Bison; but, somewhere deep inside, there had always been the feeling that it was all true. And now, to find someone who had very nearly experienced that hurt, that pain...

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I had no idea..."

Rose smiled sweetly. "Of course you wouldn't, dear Cammy. After all, it is not something that I would talk about readily."

"I understand," agreed Cammy. "It's just that, hearing you talk about it like this...it reminds me of my own past..."

"I know," said Rose, laying a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "That is all the more reason why we must crush Gill once and for all – so that nobody else should have to go through what we've been through."

A SHRINE OUTSIDE BEIJING, CHINA

"How much further is it to the shrine?" asked Ryu, as he and Chun Li drove along in her Honda Accord out of the city. "It's not a very great distance, is it?"

"No, it's not," she replied. "I checked Master Gen's city address, but he wasn't there. Then I remembered that he sometimes goes to this shrine in order to meditate and to train. I only hope we won't be disturbing him..."

"I only hope he will be able to advise me on what I must do," said Ryu, sighing heavily.

Chun Li looked at him with sympathetic eyes. He noticed and decided that he must be worrying her, so he changed the subject. "So, Chun Li," he said, "just how has your life been in the last two years?"

"You mean, aside from my school and my students?" said Chun Li. "Not much has been happening, really. But...there is someone I've been thinking about..."

"Really? Well, congrats!" said Ryu. "So, then, what's this someone like?"

"Well..." Chun Li rolled her eyes, blushing a little. "He's fairly tall, handsome, and he's a strong fighter and a philosopher."

Ryu said nothing, but nodded. Chun Li went on, "Every time I see him, even though I don't show it...my heart melts deep inside. And he knows just what to say, and when...he knows just what to say or do to make me feel like I'm not just kidding myself...and he's a bit shy sometimes, and that makes him soooo cute...but the problem is, I don't know just how he feels about me, or how he would react if I told him the truth..." She hung her head a little.

Ryu looked at her, concern on his face. "Well, why don't you just tell him?" he asked.

"Because I...I want for the moment to be just the right one. I don't want for it to be awkward." She sighed. "Oh, why am I even telling you this? I don't suppose you've ever been in love...have you?"

Ryu chuckled a little. "Well, Chun Li, to tell you the truth, there have been times when I have felt that strong twitch deep inside, but..." He turned his head away. "I never could get used to it. All my life, I've been dedicating myself to following the path of a true warrior, and for me, there has never been a substitute."

Chun Li sighed again, then looked alert. "Hey, we're here," she said, turning off the ignition and stepping out of the car.

They were parked at the foot of a very tall hill. "Is that it, at the top?" asked Ryu, pointing.

"That's right," said Chun Li. "Now, shall we go? It's gonna be a long hike to the top..."

"Actually, you won't be going anywhere!" boomed a loud voice, causing both of them to turn and look up the hill with surprise on their faces. "Ryu, today is the day when you and I will settle the score once and for all!"

It was Sagat.

Gen, the aged kung fu master, was seated cross-legged in his ancient shrine, contemplating and meditating. As of late he had been sensing dark, disturbing forces at work. One of those forces was the one he had been hoping to extinguish sooner rather than later. Akuma, the demon master of Ansatsuken.

Gen remembered only too well the day when Akuma snuffed out the life of his greatest friend, the legendary Gouken. Akuma slew both him and their father because they knew of the secrets of his fighting skill and the power of his Raging Demon attack. Both Gen and Akuma had fought on a few occasions, but each time neither could gain control over the other. On only one occasion Akuma had defeated Gen, but had allowed him to live provided that he told nobody of the secret of the Raging Demon. Ever since then, Gen had spent much of his time searching for the one who would be able to defeat Akuma once and for all...

Gen opened his eyes. He was not alone. He felt a very strong chi force in the room with him. "So, you have come to me at last, Akuma," he said without turning his head.

Behind him, the evil warrior sneered. "Yes, I have, Master Gen," he said. "And I am not the only one here. Ryu and Sagat are at the foot of this hill, preparing for a fight to the death."

"So...you enticed Sagat with your thirst for power, did you?" said Gen, in a voice filled with controlled fury. "That man's soul has already been tainted by Shadowloo's grip - why do you insist on dishonoring him even further?"

"Actually, I did nothing to him, Master Gen," Akuma chuckled. "He was the one who accepted my proposal to fight Ryu; had he refused, I would not have forced him. You know that better than anyone else."

"Even so, I cannot allow your influence to continue," said Gen, standing up and turning to face Akuma. "I may not be able to beat you, demon, but today is the day when we will end this once and for all." He positioned himself into his battle stance.

Akuma chuckled again and stood in his own battle stance. "Ready when you are."

OUTSIDE OF METRO CITY

After leaving the hospital, Guy and Ken had gone to the latter's parent's house and informed them of what had taken place and that Eliza was at the hospital. Their reaction was certainly one of shock, but they promised to go and keep close eyes on her until she recovered. In the meantime, Guy and Ken decided that to shut down Mad Gear for good, they had to go to the source of the trouble: Metro City.

Now they were just outside the city perimeter. Ken shut off his BMW, and the two men got out and examined the city from their distance. "Looks like a haven for trouble at first glance," remarked Ken.

"It's always been that way," Guy agreed. "Now, first thing, we need to go to the hospital. Mayor Haggar was seriously wounded in the battle against Mad Gear, so I'd like to go and check on him if need be."

"Do you think there are any Mad Gear misfits left in the city right now?" asked Ken.

"For now, no," said Guy, shaking his head. "They all pulled out of the city after the fight. It seems to me that their destruction of it a day or so ago was just to send a message to us who protect Metro City from crime, more specifically those of us who destroyed Mad Gear all those years ago."

"Well, then, let's go," said Ken. They got back in the BMW.

A few minutes later, they were inside Metro City Hospital, where Guy identified himself to the staff nurse. "Oh, you're one of the Mayor's associates, huh?" she said, eyeing him. "Well, I'm sorry, sir, but only family members can go in and see him."

"It's all right, nurse - he's with me," said a voice behind the pair. "I'm Mayor Haggar's son-in-law."

"Ah, hello, there," she responded. "All right, then. You may go in."

Guy and Ken went up to the stranger, who promptly touched fists with Guy. "You've always been a lifesaver, Cody," said Guy. "Thanks."

"Sure," said Cody. He looked at Ken. "So, you must be Ken Masters. Guy's told me all about you and your Japanese pal, Ryu. What brings you here?"

"You and your city aren't the only victims of the Mad Gear," Ken revealed, and here he recounted the incident where his family was attacked.

"I see," said Cody. "Well, fine. If you and Guy are going to go fight the Mad Gear together, then good luck. As for me, I can't leave right now - my wife, Jessica, was hurt in the attack, and I've got to stay right here with her."

"That's noble enough - hey, what's that funny smell?" asked Ken, sniffing suddenly.

"What d'you mean? I don't - hey, wait! I smell it, too!" Cody started sniffing the air.

Guy looked from one to the other of them. Then suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise and horror. "Guys, it's sleeping gas!"

"Oh my God...oh, man...I feel..." Ken collapsed to the floor, followed a moment later by Guy, Cody, and everyone else passing nearby. The last thing he saw before he slipped into unconsciousness was a faint stream of smoke wafting its way into the corridors through the ventilation system over their heads.

The Mad Gear crony, safely outside the hospital, pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number. It rang for a minute; then a voice answered, "What?"

"We did it, Boss," the thug answered. "We've got all three of 'em."

"Good." There was a leer in the other voice. "Bring them here to our base."

"Understood. I'm out."


	7. CHAPTER 05 Mystic Discovery

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 5

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Guile was on his way to the tent again. He hadn't been able to sleep for the entire night last night, as he'd been playing the night's events over and over again in his head. It had slowly dawned on him that he'd actually killed Birdie, perhaps his only chance for a lead. Guile highly doubted that he'd be able to get another shot at finding out just where Jane and Amy were.

_My own fault, I guess. Should've kept my temper with that idiot Birdie. At least then I could've had some clue as to what I need to do._

He chuckled a little. Truth to tell, he had always had trouble containing his rage; in fact, on many occasions before he chased after Shadowloo, he had come close to being dishonorably discharged for failing to restrain his temper. But for the time being right now, there would not really be a need to restrain anything unless it was really called for.

Then Guile's mind reflected back to the phone call he'd gotten that morning, shortly before the cab had come to pick him up. The caller had said that the fighter this time would be worth big bucks to the gamblers who would be gathering there at the tent, so Guile must be ready to fight. Guile didn't know anything about this new challenger, but he had a feeling that it was going to be someone especially strong, unlike that Samurai man he'd had to face the night before.

At length the cab pulled up outside the tent, and Guile got out. As he entered the tent, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. Only a handful of people, however, were cheering for him; the rest were keeping silence, remembering, no doubt, the rage he'd unleashed on Birdie and the Samurai the night before. He hopped into the ring, looking around for anybody who could be his challenger for the evening.

_Who am I supposed to fight?_ he wondered to himself. _And why are they stalling like this?_

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a loud voice with a Russian accent. "Well, well, well! If it isn't my old soldier friend from Bison's tournament!" followed by a deep, rumbling laugh.

Guile looked up in surprise. "Zangief!"

From the other side of the ring, just outside the ropes, he recognized the huge Russian wrestler, beard, scars and all. Guile remembered how, during Bison's tournament, he and Zangief had been set up to fight each other. Zangief had injured Guile badly during that fight, but in the end it was the American soldier who won the match. Apparently Zangief had not lived that one down.

_"Da,_ comrade, it's me!" Zangief climbed through the ropes and walked toward Guile. "I heard that you were competing in this contest, so I entered, as well. Now I can get my revenge for the dishonor you dealt me twelve years ago!"

_Contest?_ Guile blinked in disbelief. _What did he just say - that this was a contest? No, something's wrong here...nobody said anything about this being a tournament, contest or anything, unless..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a rude, and very rough, shove from Zangief. "I asked you a question, Guile! Where is that Chinese friend of yours, Chun Li? I know how you and she were working together in Bison's tournament. And now I'll wager that she is hiding somewhere in this crowd, waiting for a chance to attack me the minute I start hammering you into the canvas..." He looked around for any sign of an accomplice that Guile might have.

Guile stared at Zangief in disbelief. He was tempted to say that he and Chun Li had not been that close, let alone to be working together, and that the two of them had been working on completely different agendas...he was tempted to tell Zangief just where he could put his theory and suspicion - but instead of replying, he sent a crushing punch to the wrestler's stomach, then sent one foot into the back of Zangief's knee, toppling him over.

Zangief roared in surprise, pain and anger. The crowd went wild with cheering. The fight was on.

Guile jumped back a little. He knew that Zangief was a close-combat fighter, so he must keep his distance if he hoped to win. His plan was to keep doing long-range attacks, wear Zangief down, then move in for the kill. He gathered as much energy as he could, then fired it all off in one giant Sonic Boom.

To his surprise, Zangief charged up energy in his fist and punched directly at the Sonic Boom, canceling it out altogether. Then, even more surprising to the soldier, the huge Russian ran forward and started to spin like a tornado, his extended fist smacking Guile squarely on the kisser and sending him flying for a loop. Guile recovered quickly, though, and kicked out at Zangief's legs, sending him falling to the canvas.

But as he got back up again, it suddenly flashed in Guile's mind that this was wrong. This fighting, the way he was doing now - this wasn't like back in the Street Fighter tournament. Even back then, when he'd been aspiring to kill Bison, at least he had had some measure of fun fighting the various opponents. But now, fighting just to ensure Jane and Amy's safety - it was just wrong.

Guile's thoughts were interrupted again when he suddenly felt a huge palm over his face. Zangief, howling, lifted him up, then slammed him down into the canvas. Guile saw swirling lights, and his body threatened to black out, but he stayed awake. He lifted both feet, knees to his chest, then kicked out into Zangief's face, knocking him back again.

Guile slowly got up to face Zangief. Both of them were quite badly injured now. Zangief was still holding his stomach from Guile's first punch, and he was wobbling on one leg - Guile's earlier kick to his knee must have done some serious damage. On top of that, Zangief's nose was fairly crushed, and blood flowed from it over his battered lips. On the other hand, Guile's face was very badly bruised, and he was still quite dizzy from Zangief's last attack.

Then Zangief spoke. "Why...why are you here...?"

Guile looked at Zangief in surprise. Could he actually tell this Russian man his problems? Could he trust him? He decided to chance it.

"My wife...and my daughter," he panted. "I have to fight...so they won't hurt them."

"WHAT?" At that moment it seemed Zangief had forgotten his injuries. "Guile, what are you saying?"

Guile leaned back onto the ropes to steady himself. "You know about my wife and daughter, right? Well...a couple of days ago these jokers ransacked my home and took them captive, and now they've got me like a damned puppet for their entertainment. It's the only thing I can do if I want to see them alive again."

"But that's not right!" Zangief exclaimed. "The promoters never told me anything about this." He shook his head. "Comrade, this is wrong. We shouldn't be fighting like this." He gave the crowd a dark look - already they were starting to boo the lack of action. Then he turned back to the soldier. "Listen well, Guile. I helped get you into this mess without even knowing it - now I'm going to help you get out. We must form an alliance." He held out a hand.

Guile hesitated, then made up his mind. Slowly he reached out to shake the Russian's hand. But as he grasped it, Zangief suddenly pulled him in and bent over backwards, slamming Guile into the canvas. Guile howled in astonishment, then crumpled into a ball in pain as Zangief stood over him.

"I still don't like you, however. When this whole affair is finished, we will continue this fight where we left off!" Zangief declared. Guile just grinned in spite of his injuries and himself, and he watched with great admiration as Zangief strolled out of the ring and out of the tent. _That guy's got his honor after all..._

NAPLES, ITALY

"So, why are we here now, Rose?" Cammy asked. The two had left the restaurant and were now walking along the street, toward a carnival.

"One of my oldest friends works here at the carnival," explained Rose. "He was a common thief on the streets of Rome at one time, until the police arrested him for attempting to rob a jewelry store in the Vatican City. In order to escape a prison sentence, he agreed to work here at the carnival as a fortune-teller. The troupe he travels with is quite well known in all of Italy, so the authorities gave him a break. Of course, he still puts his street smarts to use to give me information on the underworld...perhaps we may learn something about Gill's organization from him."

They strolled through the carnival grounds, Cammy eyeing the sights in awe, until they came to a blue tent. Rose then gestured to her companion that they should enter, and so they did.

Inside the tent was dark, except for a weak light bulb that shone overhead, suspended by a cord hanging from the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a small crystal globe, and before it were two chairs. Rose and Cammy took their seats, and the former announced, "Great spirit of the underworld, tell us how your wiles are revealed."

For a moment, there was silence. Then a voice answered, "Welcome, Rose, my old friend, and her companion."

"Huh?" Now Cammy was at a loss for words. "B-but how – "

"Ah, my crystal ball tells me everything," said the voice. "I am tuned in to the mystic spirits, who tell me what will happen in the future. And - ahem – it was Rose who let me know you two would be coming." Then a man emerged from the shadows, shrouded in black.

"Cyrus, it's good to see you once more," said Rose warmly. "Have you any news for me?"

"That I do - and none of it is good," Cyrus replied in a low voice. "I tried my best to find out anything about Gill's organization, like you asked, but I couldn't find anything. Even the most cunning cat burglars are tight-lipped when it comes to speaking about Gill."

Cammy was growing impatient. Rose noticed this and gestured to Cyrus. He quickly added, "Of course, they were much more willing to speak about one of the two new arrivals to his army - Rolento."

"And? What did you find?" asked Cammy eagerly.

"I spoke last night to a pimp who runs the bad side of the streets on the south side of the city," Cyrus explained. "From what he told me, it seems that Rolento's been moving some of his gang members out of the United States via a small airstrip that runs on the edge of where my friend does his work. Some of them actually hang out in Naples - under Rolento's orders, I hear - and most of them like to hang out at a bar they call the Black Hat. It's a really suave place, though - the top figureheads in the Italian Mafia go there sometimes."

"Sounds like there'll be a crossfire," Rose remarked.

"Well, only one thing to do, then," Cammy declared. "We have to go there."

"Hey, lady, are you sure? I mean, I like your enthusiasm, but there's a whole lotta guys there - and it'll be just the two of you!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Even with Rose here by your side, these aren't your common street thugs you're dealing with!"

"I'm aware of that." Cammy shot him a cold glance. "I am also aware that Rolento and his Mad Gear gang are criminals and need to be stopped before they can do any harm." She got up and walked out of the tent.

Rose shrugged. "There's no changing her mind once it's set on something, Cyrus," she said to him. "All the same, I'll go with her."

"Fine," said Cyrus. "You be careful, Rose." Then, as Rose was about to leave, he suddenly added, "Oh, Rose, something I forgot to mention!"

She waited.

"My sources weren't able to confirm anything," said Cyrus, "but from what I've heard, these guys seem to be drafting fighters from all over the world into this gang. The latest is that two people who were competitors in Gill's last tournament have been taken to his headquarters. What they're doing with them, I have no idea."

Rose nodded. "Very well. Thank you, Cyrus."

SOMEWHERE

Ken's eyes slowly opened. He groaned as a throbbing headache suddenly seized him. _What the hell happened? Where am I? And - why am I SHACKLED like this? What's going on?_

Then suddenly it struck him. It all came back in a rush of memory - the gassing of the Metro City hospital. Someone had deliberately done it to get him. As he looked around him, he could make out that he was in some sort of dungeon. Then suddenly he caught sight of Guy and Cody, shackled onto the wall just like he was. "Hey! Hey, you guys all right?" he hissed to them.

"I'll live," Cody answered groggily.

"Say, Ken, any idea where we're at?" asked Guy.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, Guy," said Ken shamefacedly. "I just regained consciousness myself. If I could take a rough guess, though, judging from the walls of this room, I'd say we're in some sort of crypt."

"And you would be right, _mi amigo_ - only, I wouldn't tell you exactly where," said a very familiar voice. And then, slinking out of the shadows came a man that both Guy and Ken knew all too well.

"Vega!" Ken asked in disbelief. "But I - I thought - you were dead!"

Vega laughed a raspy laugh. "Dead, _señor?_ Whoever told you that?"

"Uh, guys? Who's this loon-bucket?" Cody asked, confused.

"Ah, so we have a new face here," Vega leered at him. "Allow me the pleasure, dear sir. I am Vega, and I now follow the orders of - whoops! Can't reveal his name - but he is a very powerful figure. He has control over various people, including doctors who were able to restore the beauty to my face - look!" And he pulled off his mask to reveal his face, as intact and flawless as if it had never been scarred.

"As vain as ever, eh, Vega?" asked Guy. "You never change, do you?"

"No...I suppose not," said Vega, replacing his mask. "But no matter. Now, then, on to the matter of why we have you here. See, I work alongside Rolento Shugerg now, and his Mad Gear gang and we are part of a much greater organization. In case you are wondering, _Señor_ Masters, we do have your son - but it was foolish of you to attempt a rescue and not hand over the ransom."

"Why you -" Ken started to struggle, but the chains were locked on too tightly for him to budge. Vega laughed cruelly.

"See? This is why all of you ugly people are stupid, as well. You, Ken Masters, are a perfect example of the ugly man's stupidity. Oh, well, I suppose I'll leave you to wallow in your own stupidity now."

"Wait!" said Guy. "Why do you have us here, as well, if it's Ken you were after?"

"Oh, another stupid one, eh?" Vega taunted him. "Why, because you and your other blond friend are the heroes of Metro City! Why else?" He giggled. "Well, I must go now. Ta-ta!" and then he was gone out of the cell.


	8. CHAPTER 06 Two Sets of Rivals

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 6

A SHRINE OUTSIDE BEIJING, CHINA

"Sagat? What are you doing here?" asked Ryu, in disbelief.

Sagat sneered at Ryu. "Why else am I here, fool? I have come so that I may fight with you, that's why I am here!" He turned to Chun Li. "Oh, forgive me - I didn't know you'd gotten busy during all these years!" He laughed.

_Something's wrong...I can sense it..._ Ryu had a very uneasy feeling now. _Wait a minute - I can feel...great evil...coming from the shrine...Satsui no Hado! That means -_ "Sagat! Have you sold your soul to Akuma?" he demanded.

Chun Li, standing off, was quite surprised when she heard Ryu say that name. _Akuma? Could that be...the man who murdered Ken and Ryu's sensei, Master Gen's friend, all those years ago? Then that means -_ She shot a panicked look toward the shrine. "Master Gen!" she shrieked as she darted off.

Sagat watched her go, then turned to face Ryu once again. "It is true, Ryu. I did agree to a partnership with him, so that I could get to fight with you once more. He agreed not to interfere in our match."

"But why, Sagat? I told you that when I was ready, I would come to Thailand to fight with you. And you swore you'd wait until then for me!" Ryu exclaimed.

"There is a limit to a man's patience, Ryu," answered Sagat. "And mine has run out. Now, all that matters is that I am here, and you are here. And now, we can end what was started twenty years ago."

_His battle ki is rising...and the Satsui no Hado is growing stronger..._ "No, Sagat! I will not fight you like this! Not while you're in THIS state of mind!"

"Then I suppose I'll have to force you!" And with that, Sagat attacked.

Chun Li stopped a moment to look back, and was terrified at what she saw. Sagat was attacking Ryu relentlessly, but for some reason Ryu wouldn't fight back. _Why doesn't Ryu fight?_ she wondered to herself. _Doesn't he realize that his life itself is at stake?_ Then she shook her head. _Never mind about him right now - he can take care of himself. Right now, you've got to get to Master Gen!_

Gen and Akuma yelled out battle screams, then charged at each other.

Gen did a backhand chop, then came back round with a forward-driving thrust kick to the chest. Akuma blocked the chop easily, but just barely managed to grab Gen's foot as it connected with his side, grunting as the force of the blow hit him. He slid back a little, but came right back at Gen with two flying punches. Gen swatted off the first one, but the second caught him full in the chest, knocking him down. Gen would not be outdone, though, and curled himself into a ball, then shot up at Akuma feet-first, knocking him out of the air.

"Impressive, Master Gen," said Akuma, getting up. "You have truly been keeping yourself in tune over the years. But now you will die!"

"I think not." Gen then charged at Akuma, who had both arms up and ready to block. Strangely, though, Gen just touched Akuma on the side, running past him. Akuma stared at him, puzzled, then suddenly keeled over in pain as the chi exploded into his body. Gen took the initiative, punching repeatedly, his hands becoming a blur as he hit the demon multiple times. He then finished with a double roundhouse kick that knocked Akuma back for a loop.

Akuma got up slowly, wiping blood off his nose, and grinned. "Well done, Master Gen," he remarked. "I never would have anticipated that you would use your Shitenshuu technique in such a manner."

"I have experience, Akuma, as you should know by now. You will not drop me that easily."

Akuma grinned even wider. "Oh, no?"

Then, quite suddenly, and much to Gen's surprise, the demon's ki started to grow even stronger than before. Gen, seeing this, realized it: _Akuma's been toying with me all along!_

"Tiger!"

Ryu dodged the fireball as best as he could, but smarted from the heat as it passed so close to him. "Come on, fight me!" Sagat shouted.

"I told you before, Sagat: I will not fight with you while you are like this!" Ryu snapped. "Don't you see what Akuma has done to you? He's using your hatred of me to his advantage and has corrupted you with his Satsui no Hado! Wake up, Sagat!"

"You cannot run forever, Ryu! Your body grows tired every time you attempt to avoid me," Sagat gloated. "Now, my revenge will be even sweeter than ever!"

_He's completely lost it...nothing matters to him now except that he defeats me..._ Ryu struggled frantically to find a way out of this predicament. _Come on, think! What can you do to stop this guy without hurting him?_

Sagat, growing very impatient with Ryu now, gathered as much chi as he could muster, then released into a barrage of attacks - starting with a rising knee attack, then performing his famous Tiger Uppercut twice in succession. Ryu blocked as best he could, but the last two attacks connected and sent him flying. "What's wrong, boy? Is this the Ryu I fought all those years ago? You're pathetic!"

Ryu rose up, wiping blood from his mouth. "All right, Sagat," he said, quietly but with controlled fury in his voice, "if that's how you want it, then let's go."

Sagat smiled. "Finally...you're responding to my provocation. Fine then; let's fight!"

Gen was thrown back as Akuma sent blast after blast of ki energy at him. He was already weak and exhausted, but he wasn't about to give up, as long as he still had life in him. He tried to run in to perform his Shitenshuu again; however, Akuma saw it coming this time and easily swatted it off. He then performed his Hurricane Kick, knocking Gen back even further. After that, he jumped up into the air and let loose a barrage of fireballs upon his opponent. Gen, unable to escape, could do nothing as the balls of evil energy singed his skin. Finally, he collapsed on one knee.

"Now you see how weak you truly are, old man!" Akuma taunted him. "Age has made you nothing more than a fragile insect; whereas I, Akuma, am not hindered by time! I AM IMMORTAL!"

Gen looked at him wryly. "You fool. Nobody is immortal. Not even you. And now I'll prove it." With that, he stood in his Snake fighting stance, ready to do battle once again.

Akuma chuckled. "Fine, then. I'll make your death quick and painful." He stomped the ground once, charging up his dark ki into a powerful ball of fiery energy; then he let it go rushing at Gen. The old fighter managed to dodge it, though, and came straight back at Akuma with a flying kick that connected with the demon's gut, sending him flying. Gen attacked again, bouncing off the wall and flying headfirst at his opponent, hitting him again; then he bounced off the opposite wall and repeated the attack twice more. On the fourth hit, Gen grabbed Akuma and stomped in the back of his head, sending him falling toward the floor.

As his body weight hit the ground, however, Akuma rolled back up and send a Hadoken blast at Gen, who was unable to block or counter it and got the full force of the blast in his chest, forcing him back again.

Gen staggered up, coughing blood. Akuma shook his head. "Pitiful fool. Now, you will die. Prepare yourself for the afterlife." With that said, and with his energy rolling around his body again, he hovered slowly toward his crippled opponent.

_Please be all right...please let Master Gen be all right..._ Chun Li was panting now as she ran uphill, her chest feeling as though it were on fire. _Don't let that Akuma get to him..._

At length she reached the entrance to the shrine - just in time to see a flash of light so bright she had to cover her eyes and turn away. As she felt the light subside, she dared to look up...and what she saw took the breath out of her. Right there before her, on the floor of the shrine, was Master Gen, his body all broken and his mouth open in a silent scream; and before him, Akuma, with his red glaring eyes and flaming hair, and what appeared to be the Japanese symbol for heaven tattooed on his back.

"No...No...Master Gen...NOOOO!" she shrieked and ran toward Gen's lifeless body, cradling his head in her arms, sobbing. As she cried, she glared at Akuma with eyes that blazed hatred.

"Humph...do you hate me?" Akuma asked her. "That's fine. But know this - your master chose to end his life this way." And with that, he started to disappear.

"Come back, you bastard!" Chun Li shrieked, rushing at him. But as she reached him, he disappeared completely, leaving her alone. Chun Li collapsed to the floor, pounding the ground in her frustration and rage. "You bastard...you murderer!"

The two enemies stood staring at each other for what seemed an eternity. Then Sagat, becoming impatient, attacked Ryu with a solid right kick to the head; but Ryu ducked under it and connected with four punches, ending with a Hadoken blast that sent the giant man stumbling. As Sagat got back to his feet, Ryu just stood there, waiting.

Howling, Sagat fired blast after blast of his Tiger fireballs at his sworn enemy. But Ryu noted that doing this was sapping Sagat's energy; in fact, the only thing keeping him standing now was his rage. Ryu dodged each blast, getting in closer and closer each time, until he was two feet away from Sagat. Channeling all of his energy into one blast, he fired his Shinkuu Hadoken, nullifying all of Sagat's oncoming attacks and hitting him three times in the chest, knocking him back again, until at last he crashed to the ground.

Trying to get up, Sagat groaned and fell back. "Why...how...why couldn't I defeat you?" he fretted weakly. "I...I've trained for so long..."

"The worst thing you could have ever done was to ally yourself with Akuma, Sagat," replied Ryu. "His influence gave you increased power, indeed, but at the same time it amplified your hatred of me, causing your judgment to be clouded. If you had been fighting me of your own strength, then the chances are that you would have defeated me..."

"But I'm not done yet! I'll never be finished until I have your head!" Sagat raged, getting back up slowly. Ryu noted this with some surprise, for his Shinkuu Hadoken had been meant to keep Sagat down for good.

_Oh man...I'll have to put him out right now._ Unfortunately, Ryu had expended all of his energy into his last attack. He didn't have anything left, and that added to the pressure of having to dodge Sagat's attacks was wearing him down. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something...alarming.

Coming down from the shrine was Chun Li, carrying Gen's limp body in her arms, and tears on her face. At once Ryu guessed what had happened. _No…it can't be…while I was here fighting Sagat, that demon took the opportunity to kill Master Gen!_

The impending sorrow and rage that Ryu felt at that moment threatened to consume him. It filled him anew with energy, and a great resolve: to make Akuma pay for what he had done.

Sagat, on the other hand, was shocked. "What the hell - where's his energy coming from?" he demanded.

Ryu looked at him, determination on his face. "Sagat...prepare to lose."

Screaming, Sagat charged up what was left of his energy and fired it all into one massive Tiger blast. Ryu jumped over it in the nick of time, though, and landed right in front of Sagat. He unleashed his energy into the Shin Shoryuken, hitting his old nemesis with first one fist, then the other. On the third blow, Sagat's head snapped back and he flew back a little, screaming in pain and fury at the thought that Ryu had just defeated him once again.

Ryu watched as Sagat landed on the ground, unconscious; then he turned to look at Chun Li. "Master Gen...Is he...?"

Unable to reply, Chun Li just nodded.

Moments later, the two had built a makeshift grave for Gen, and had erected a tombstone out of the best rock they could find. Now they stood before it, silently, with their own thoughts. Presently Chun Li spoke, her voice full of anger.

"Ryu...I remember that you told me, this Akuma...he killed your sensei all those years ago, correct?" she said. "You told me during the second Street Fighter tournament. And you also said that revenge is not the answer, as it will only consume you..."

Ryu said nothing, but let her continue.

"But you never said how evil this guy was...that he would do something like THIS!" she spat, each word meant to revile. "That he could do something like this...! I'll never forgive him for it! Never!"

Still Ryu said nothing. Now his silence was irritating Chun Li.

"I wish you'd say something, damn you!" she shrieked. "I mean, don't you even WANT to get him for doing this!" She pounded on his chest, sobbing wildly. Finally, exhausted, she collapsed on Ryu's chest, weeping.

And still he made no reply, but just let her cry on his chest. He knew that normally, Chun Li wouldn't get this emotional about anything. She was, after all, a tough warrior herself; but all said and done, she was still human. She had, after all, lost her father to the dictator M. Bison many years ago, and had joined Interpol for the sole purpose of killing him. But years of living with Master Gen must have taught her peace of mind; and now, to have it all ripped away...

_Am I...feeling sympathy for her?_ Ryu wondered. He had never had feelings for anyone quite like this before, and he was beginning to feel a little uneasy. _But to see Chun Li like this...how can I just leave? I can't! I can't just do that! She needs someone close to her right now, someone who can grieve with her...only, am I really that type of person?_

"Chun Li," he said, quietly. "Let us return to town. We need to inform your students of what has happened."


	9. CHAPTER 07 The True Target

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 7

SOMEWHERE

"That no-good, dirty, rotten, full-of-himself bastard...when I get a hold of him, I'm gonna make him wish he'd never had a pretty face to begin with!" Ken fumed.

"Forget it, pal," Guy chided him. "No use making threats when you're chained to a wall."

"He's right," put in Cody. "Besides, how are you going to get free?"

"I think I know what to do," said Ken. With that, he channeled energy into his hands and tried to form a Hadoken blast to break the chains; but the chains were much too sturdy, and he ended up burning his hands. "Damn, no good," he lamented.

"Well, at least it was a good idea," Cody offered. "But it seems to me that it's gonna take a little more than just force to get these chains off. Any ideas, guys?"

Guy said nothing, but looked rather spaced out. Cody looked over at him. "Hey, ninja-boy, what's the matter? Need to take a leak or something?" he jibed.

Guy just grunted at him, then suddenly a loud pop could be heard. The next thing Ken and Cody knew, Guy was slipping out of one of his chains with ease.

"But how did you – " they both started.

"It's really easy," answered Guy, "that is, if you're willing to dislocate your wrist." The other two men winced as he snapped his wrist back into position with a loud pop. He then tapped on the other chain with his knuckles, and seconds later he was free.

"Okay; how did you do THAT?" asked Cody.

"Everything has its own natural weak point," explained Guy. "Give the sturdiest steel the proper application of strength at the precise point, and it falls apart. Just like hitting a vital point on the body."

"Sounds like something I'll need to remember," said Ken.

"Just answer me one thing, Guy," said Cody. "If you could have escaped like this, why didn't you do it BEFORE NOW!"

"I was trying to formulate a plan, for your information," returned Guy. "I've been keeping track of how many times the guards go past our cell, and I've estimated about fifteen minutes or so between shifts. Possibly ten minutes have gone by already; in a few more, the next shift of guards will be walking past us to check on us."

"So you're gonna have us ambush the next group that comes along, huh?" asked Ken.

"Exactly."

In a moment, Guy helped Cody and Ken out of their chains, then instructed them to stick to one side of the door. As soon as they were in position, they could hear footsteps outside the door; then the door was opened, and two guards walked in. At Guy's signal, Ken and Cody sprung out and knocked one of them unconscious. Ken grabbed the other in a tight arm-lock before he could raise an alarm.

"Now, then, my good man," said Guy coldly, "you'll help us get out of here, all right? Or do I have to ask my friend to break your neck?"

Too scared to answer, the guard just nodded his head. "Then start guiding us!" Ken ordered as the men made their way out of the cell and down the passageway.

NAPLES, ITALY

"So, this is it, eh?" Cammy asked. "The Black Hat restaurant. Who would've known that this would be such a posh place."

"A posh place infested with the rats that call themselves criminals," Rose reminded her. "Now, do you remember the plan?"

"Yes, yes," said Cammy. "Pretend to be regular patrons who know the run of the mill, and try to squeeze as much info out of these guys as possible without arousing suspicions. All right."

"Good. Now, let's go."

The two women walked across the street to the restaurant. Rose was still dressed in her lavender attire; but now Cammy was decked in a stunning black dress with a matching handbag. As the women entered the restaurant, she could feel the eyes of most of the men as they looked appreciatively at her shapely figure.

"Don't let them get to you, dear," said Rose. "I've gotten quite a lot of those looks in my lifetime, too."

The duo made their way to a table, and the waiter took their order. While they waited, Cammy alerted Rose's attention to two burly-looking men sitting near the bar, deep in discussion. Rose nodded and walked over to the far end of the bar, ordering a drink. As she drank, deliberately slowly, she read the men's lips in the mirror.

"So, Stray," one of them said, "how's the plan coming along?"

"Good so far, Drake," the other replied. "Of course, there's been a setback, but nothing too bad."

"What is it?"

"Well, we've got that Masters kid in custody, so his folks'll have to pay that ransom that the boss is asking for," the one named Stray replied. "Unfortunately, Birdie got killed when he and Sodom were at the big fight show back in Texas, but other than that, everything's going according to plan."

"Any problems from Interpol or the Special Forces?" asked Drake.

"Nope. Remember, the big boss has influence over almost every branch of special intelligence agencies all around the world," Stray assured his partner.

"So, what's next for the Army man? We've had his family for a while now, haven't we?"

"Yep, we have," said Stray. "From the orders the boss has been giving our boys, they're supposed to be bringing Guile to our China headquarters by tomorrow."

Rose started, nearly giving herself away. _What could they possibly want with Guile? And Masters...could they possibly be talking about Ken Masters!_

In the mirror Rose could see Cammy beckoning to her that their dinner was on the way, so she excused herself from the bar and went back to the table. Mercifully, their dinner was small and light, and as they ate, Rose told Cammy what she'd learnt.

Cammy nearly choked on her piece of chicken. "What?" she said. "They're after Ken and Guile? What for?"

"Well, most obviously it would be ransom for Ken, but I don't know about Guile," admitted Rose. "Oh, look, they look like they're about to leave. Let's hurry and finish this, and then we'll follow them."

They took the check, and as the two men got up and exited, the women started toward the doors - and were blocked by two of the whistlers from before. "Hey, why don't ya stay a while, pretty ladies?" one of them asked.

"Yeah," another asked. "Although there are other things we could do to spies!"

Rose and Cammy looked around in alarm. "They were onto us all along!" Rose hissed.

"Looks like we'll have to fight our way out of here," said Cammy. "Something I like to do!"

She swung the handbag into one guy's face, bursting his lip and causing him to howl out in pain. Rose quickly released her scarf and used it to slap another punk silly; then both women turned and ran out of the restaurant, the angry patrons following hot on their heels. But neither Rose nor Cammy slowed down for a moment, and as they rounded a corner they hid in the shadows and waited until the mob went past them.

"Now, how far did those two blokes go - the ones you were listening in on?" asked Cammy.

"Well, they said something about taking Guile to China," said Rose. "They could be at the airport. It's much closer to here than the seaport is, anyway." She pulled out one of her tarot cards and gazed intently at it for a moment. "That's right...these two are going to be flying to China to meet up with the rest of their gang, and they're leaving in the next half-hour."

Cammy nodded. "Then on to China we go!" she said, in singsong.

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Guile stood on the rooftop, careful to conceal himself from the crowds below. _Is this the spot? Or should I have gone back a block or two? Ah, it doesn't matter; I'll know them when I see them..._

An hour earlier, Zangief had come to Guile's hotel and sent a message up to his room. "I've found your family, comrade. A limo is to bring them to a building across town, across the street from a bar and music shop. That's all." Guile understood - it was all Zangief could do for him without jeopardizing his own position in the "tournament."

Now, as Guile looked around, he could see the bar and music shop - this last really being a record dealer's antique shop - just below him, and the building across from them, a boutique. _Why must gangsters always use the most beautiful places to cover up their dirty acts?_

At length he saw a limousine pull up beside the boutique. Watching it anxiously, he observed two burly men getting out of the front, and a third man stepping from the rear. Behind him came two women, followed by a fourth man.

_That's them, all right!_ Guile thought excitedly. _Now to get down there!_

Hanging onto the side-ladder near the roof, Guile slid down easily, then rushed up to the group, knocking one man down with his elbow. He then turned and kicked another in the stomach; and as that one doubled over in agony, he slid over the car bonnet and kicked the last two, knocking them down. "Jane! Amy!" he called to the women.

"Dad?" Amy's voice was full of glad surprise. "How'd you find us?"

"I'll explain that later - let's just get out of here right now!" Guile grabbed them by their hands and ran off, while the men he'd knocked down were still on the ground in pain. He didn't want to have to lag, giving the kidnappers the opportunity to catch up to them.

Running a few blocks, Guile managed to get a little information out of Jane and Amy. "They actually treated us well," Jane told him, "but for the most part they virtually left us alone. Although I'm thinking if the lesser lackeys had had their way..." She didn't need to finish the sentence.

"Did they ever make mention of their leader?" Guile asked next.

"Well, yeah, they did," said Amy. "Some guy named Rolento. But I think he was taking orders from somebody else."

_ROLENTO!_ Guile's mind raged. It all came back to him in a rush - the mad mercenary he and his troops had had a fatal encounter with many years ago. It had cost Guile his entire squad, and the only other survivor of that massacre, a soldier named Doctrine Dark, had sworn revenge on Guile for seemingly leading the squad to their deaths. _I'd always known Rolento was part of some gang or another, but I never thought it would be the Mad Gear - much less that he'd be the leader!_

Guile gritted his teeth in newfound determination. _At least now I've got my first really big clue - the leader of the gang who stole the girls from me. Although he's supposedly taking orders from somebody else...but that doesn't matter right now. Once I set my eyes on that Rolento, he and I are gonna have it out for what he's done!_

As they rounded the corner, however, Guile was totally unprepared for the iron pipe that caught him squarely in the forehead, knocking him out cold. He literally flew to the ground, and several thugs at once crowded around the family.

"No! No!" Amy shrieked.

"Please, don't take us from him again!" Jane begged.

Strangely enough, however, the gangsters seemed to take no notice of either of the women whatsoever; instead, as the limousine rounded the corner and braked to a stop, they pushed Guile's unconscious self through the doors and sped off, leaving Jane and Amy dumbfounded.

"They...they didn't even look at us..." Amy breathed.

That was when Jane realized the truth. "Oh, my god...it wasn't us...it was him...they were after him all the time!" she whispered. "We were just the bait!"

Both of them looked around, very nervously. They were, it appeared, in a very bad part of town, a town neither of them were familiar with. "Mom, what'll we do?" Amy asked worriedly.

Jane pulled her daughter close to her. "I don't know, honey. I honestly don't know."


	10. CHAPTER 08 Reunion and Comfort

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 8

AUSTIN, TEXAS

"Man, who would've thought that we'd actually be here in Texas?" Cody asked. "This is incredible!"

"I have to ask you, Ken: Was it really wise to let that guy go?" asked Guy.

"Hey, why not? He did help us out of that place, after all," said Ken.

The three men were standing just outside an old building, where they had been held prisoner in the lower basement levels. They'd released the thug they had forced to guide them, and he had escaped into the town; but neither Ken nor Cody seemed worried. "After all," Cody had affirmed, "if he ever gets into trouble with us again, he knows what he'll get. Plus, he's wearing a military outfit – the cops will pick him up pretty quickly."

"So, now that we're out of that place, what do we do?" asked Guy.

Almost as he finished asking that question, the men heard a commotion coming from around the corner. Heading that way out of curiosity, they found a man excitedly telling some tall tale to a large crowd. "It was incredible, I tell ya!" the man was saying. "This guy just popped out of nowhere, from off the rooftops, and he jumped down and attacked a car!"

"Attacked a car?" one of his listeners said skeptically.

"Well, he attacked the people in the car, at least," the man corrected himself.

Cody and Guy looked at each other. "Should we even stick around for this old crank?" asked Cody, scratching his head.

"Hey, why not? After everything that's been happening, it'll be nice to have a diversion for a change." Ken then stepped forward until he was at the front of the crowd. "Excuse me, mister, but this guy - what did he look like? Do you remember?"

The man fingered his chin in thought. "Well, hmmm...now that you mention it, he WAS a rather odd-looking fellow," he said. "Big, tall guy...looked like some sort of weight-lifter or something...and he was dressed up like one o' them Army guys. Oh, yeah - his hair looked like a broom, and he had this tattoo o' the American flag on his arm!"

"WHAT!" Ken shot forward and grabbed the man. "Tell me, did you see where this guy went? Well, did you!"

"H-hey, man, don't hurt me!" the man now quavered. "Last I saw, he disappeared with two women, right into the bad side o' town, over that end -" and he pointed behind him.

"Thanks!" Ken ran back to Guy and Cody. "Come on, you guys - Guile was here just a while ago, and I think Jane and Amy might still be in town! Hurry!"

Guy and Cody looked at him, dumbfounded. "Excuse us, but we have no clue who you're talking about," said Cody.

"Oh, never mind then!" Ken snapped, exasperated. "Just look for two blond women who look really lost. Let's go!" He darted off into the neighborhood; the other two men, perplexed, decided to follow after him.

Ken sprinted through the streets, glaring at any punk standing nearby, as if to say not to mess with him. If Guile had really been in this city, and if Jane and Amy had been here too, then doubtless they might still be here somewhere. It flashed in his mind that perhaps the guys who'd captured him had taken Guile, too; all the more reason for him to find the two women quickly, as a mother and daughter alone in a strange place were easy prey for any psycho.

At length he reached an alleyway and slowed down. At the end of the alley he saw what appeared to be a huge box with two persons inside. Cautiously he approached it, and saw that the people inside the box were two women, one's head in the other's lap in a resting position. "Jane? Amy?" he called, softly.

The woman holding the other's head in her lap looked up at him out of tired, frightened eyes. "Ken, is that you?" she spoke in a voice that told of exhaustion. "Oh, Ken!"

Ken bent down so he could be on face-level with her. "Jane, what happened? Are you two all right? And what happened to Guile?"

"They...they took him from us, Ken. They just came and took him." Jane shook her head. "We've been so lonely for so long ever since they kidnapped us from home...and then I find my husband - only to have him taken from me..." She broke down into heavy sobbing. Ken gently took her into his arms.

"Don't worry, Jane. I've got some friends with me at the moment, and we'll make sure that you and Amy are taken to safety. Then we'll get Guile back from those guys. I promise."

NAPLES, ITALY

"God, am I glad to be out of that dress," Cammy sighed in relief as she replaced her Special Forces cap into place. "I can't fight while I'm in that - oh, no offense, Rose."

Rose grinned and shook her head. "None taken. Besides, you do have the right to fight in what you feel is most comfortable to you. Ah, here we are - the airstrip."

"And there are those two blokes now," Cammy pointed to a jeep parked near the airstrip. Out of the jeep stepped the two thugs from the restaurant, Stray and Drake.

The two women exited the taxi they'd caught and stole onto the grounds, close to the plane where the men were apparently planning to board. Watching from behind some crates, they noted that the two men were shouting orders to hurry up with some loading or other.

"What could they be loading onto that small plane?" Cammy asked. "After all, it's a small passenger plane. Not a lot of weight could hold in that thing."

"Unless the weight's light enough to carry," Rose suggested. "Perhaps those boxes have some sort of equipment or other such material that would be easy to transport by weight?"

"Maybe." Cammy studied the group of men nearest the plane. "All right. I'm counting five, maybe six guys armed with weapons, not counting our two friends there. The suckers loading up the plane should be fairly easy to take out, but those others will pose a bit of a problem."

"No problem at all," Rose assured her. Then, as Cammy watched in surprised wonder, she folded her hands together and chanted. A small ball of energy formed parallel to her line of vision; she cupped it in one hand, then carefully tossed it toward the guards. There was a bright flash of light, followed immediately after by shouts of dismay and confusion.

"Now, Cammy, while we've got the sight advantage!" Rose yelled, running forward and knocking two of the armed guards out with her scarf, charged up with her energy. Cammy followed suit, spinning feet first at another guard and hitting him in the shins, crippling him. Then, locking arms, both women spun and kicked the other two guards attacking them; finally, Cammy spun and hit the sixth guard with the back of her knuckles, knocking a tooth out and knocking him out cold.

Then, the women turned to face Stray and Drake. "Hello, there, boys," said Cammy sweetly. "Mind telling two pretty girls like us what you're trying to ship off in those crates?"

Stray reached into his coat and strapped on iron knuckles, fitted with spikes. "Why don't I beat your brains out instead!" he bellowed, charging at Cammy. Drake, on the other hand, reached behind him and pulled out a medium-sized anchor suspended by a chain. Wrapping the chain around his fist, he charged at Rose.

Cammy just barely managed to dodge Stray's vicious initial onslaught, but presently he sent a wild blow to her midsection that ripped the fabric from her vest, slashing the skin on her stomach in the process. Furious and in pain, Cammy grabbed one of his free hands and drew him in, slamming her other fist into his forehead. She then jumped backward, wrapping her legs around his neck, then brought her whole body down, slamming him into the paved surface.

Rose was having a better time with Drake; she had wrapped her scarf around the hand that held his anchor's chain, preventing him from swinging his weapon much further. She then grabbed his temples and started to levitate, sucking on his life energy in the process; then she threw him down so hard he hit the ground with a bang and didn't get up again.

"Cammy, how are you holding up over there?" Rose called.

"Could be better, Rose!" Cammy admitted, hunched over, holding her bleeding stomach. Stray, having recovered from being slammed into the ground, came back at her, fists flying. She blocked most of his assault with her gauntlets, but still winced from the pain of the few that made it through. As she took Stray's brutal assault, though, she waited for an opening...and...

"GOT YOU!" She grabbed both of Stray's hands together at the same time, then spun upside down and then, just as quickly, shot upward in an arrow-like spiral, kicking Stray in the face repeatedly. On the last hit, she wrapped her legs around his neck, slamming him headfirst into the ground again; this time, he didn't get back up.

But now that that fight was over, Cammy was starting to feel the pain of having lost as much blood as she had. All she could hear was Rose worriedly calling her name before she lost consciousness.

BEIJING, CHINA

Ryu sat just outside the dojo's office, not sure whether he should go in or leave Chun Li to grieve on her own. The students of the dojo, having learned of the sad happenings at Master Gen's shrine, had all gone there to pay their final respects; so only Ryu and Chun Li were there, alone.

As he looked at the memorial mini-shrine that the students had reverently erected in the middle of the training room, Ryu thought back to how he and Ken had lost their own sensei, Gouken. Twenty years ago, after Ryu had defeated Sagat to win the Street Fighter championship, he and Ken had returned home to find their master locked in combat with Akuma, but unfortunately Gouken had been slain in that battle. Ever since that day, Akuma had been seeking Ryu out, as he was the only other student of Ansatsuken Karate who had the skill and the discipline to, perhaps, become the next one to carry on Akuma's evil...

_So Akuma convinced Sagat to come after me, to test my abilities,_ Ryu mused. _He only saw his chance to fight Master Gen as an added bonus...and he didn't hesitate to show off his true power, either..._

"Ryu, could you come in here a moment, please?"

Ryu was drawn out of his train of thought by this request. "Uh, sure...I'm coming."

He entered the office and saw Chun Li, and at once felt very sorry for her. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she'd obviously been doing earlier; but now there was a look of worry on her face. She motioned for him to sit down, and he did, a little perplexed.

"Ryu," she started. "I want you to answer me one question...and please, be honest."

He felt as though he were being interrogated, but sensed that this was important. "Okay."

Chun Li looked at him levelly. "What is it that this Akuma wants from you? Why is he targeting you specifically, as you say he is?"

Ryu looked back into her face with the exact same level of intensity. He could see it all: behind the hard, tough exterior he'd come to know so well, he could see the anxiety, the fear, the longing for the truth. And he knew that this was one woman he could not - WOULD not - lie to on this critical point.

He cleared his throat and began. "Well, to tell you that, I'll have to go back to the beginning of the whole story, most of which I've already told you before during Bison's tournament," he said. "About thirty or so years ago, Akuma - back then known as Gouki - and my master Gouken were the students of their father, Goutetsu. He taught them all the secrets of the Ansatsuken arts, but purposely kept one crucial secret from them, the secret of the dark arts of Ansatsuken. He kept it from them because he knew that, especially in the hands of Gouki, if used wrongly, it could bring devastation to the world. So he refrained from teaching them this."

Chun Li leaned forward, and nodded. She had indeed heard this part of the story before, both from Ryu and in little tidbits of information from Gen.

"Well, Gouki eventually sought to learn about the dark Ansatsuken arts by himself, and that was when he met the demon that made him into what we know him as today: Akuma. Bonding himself with this demon, he slew both his father and brother using the most forbidden technique in the Ansatsuken art: the Shun Goku Satsu." Ryu trembled a little as he said this.

Chun Li knew about this, too. Ryu had told her this in confidence, during an intermission in Bison's tournament, although he hadn't known much about it himself. She knew that the name itself meant "Instant Hell Murder" and had come to the conclusion that, whatever the secret behind this technique was, it was certainly deadly.

"That was around the time I first defeated Sagat in the Street Fighter competition," Ryu explained. "When Ken and I returned to the dojo, we found our master had been slain by Akuma, and try as hard as we might, we could not defeat him. Ever since then, Ken has never forgotten what happened, and has secretly sworn to kill Akuma once he gets to fight him again. Ken thinks I don't know this, but...we have been like brothers for the last twenty years. He may not say it out loud, but it shows in his mannerism."

"But...if that is the case, then why DOES Akuma go after only you?" Chun Li persisted. "You told me at one time that Akuma only fights those who seek him on purpose!"

"Yes, that I did," Ryu admitted. "The truth is...Chun Li, you and everybody else knows that for the last twenty years I have been a wanderer. The reason for that is that I have been secretly searching for Akuma, so that I may exact vengeance on him for what he did to my master all those years ago."

Ryu looked at his enclosed fist, his voice husky with emotion. "The only problem with that is...I have been very devoted to being the most perfect warrior in the world. Ken's dedication isn't as sharp, particularly since he's got a family now; that is why Akuma only wants me. The other thing is...when I defeated Sagat that first time, I did it by unconsciously tapping into the Satsui no Hado, the dark power of Ansatsuken. That is why Sagat has the scar on his chest now, and that is why he has constantly been seeking a rematch against me - because both of us know that it was not a fair win on my part. Also, since I was able to tap into the Satsui no Hado, Akuma wants to fight me in a battle that will bring out my dark potential. If that happens..."

Ryu shook his head, the emotion threatening to overcome him. Chun Li at once got up and held his head close to her chest, hugging him tightly. She gently caressed his head as she let him release his sorrow. _Ryu...you don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here...I'll always be here for you, for as long as you need me..._ She couldn't hold her own tears back any longer, either; together, the two strongest warriors the world had ever known shed tears of regret and pain.


	11. CHAPTER 09 Emotions Exposed

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 9

IN THE AIR BETWEEN NAPLES, ITALY AND BEIJING, CHINA

Cammy's eyes slowly opened. As her vision came into focus, she could make out the inside walls of an aircraft, and that she was lying down somewhere - perhaps in a recliner seat. She tried to move, but a stabbing pain in her stomach region warned her not to try it.

"Easy, now, dear; just take it easy," she heard Rose's voice.

"R-Rose? Where...what happened?" Cammy asked, reluctantly lying back in the chair.

"You were injured rather badly in the battle - in fact, much more so than either of us imagined," Rose explained. "You lost a great deal of blood thanks to Stray's attack. You're only lucky that you stopped fighting when you did, or else you would most certainly have been unconscious for much longer than you were."

Cammy scrutinized herself. Her torso and midriff were bandaged up quite neatly, but there was still a throbbing ache present. Stray had certainly done a number on her with his iron-spike knuckles, she figured.

"So how long WAS I out?" asked Cammy.

"By now, that would be about six hours," said Rose.

"Six hours! Bloody hell...it certainly feels like I've been out a long time," said Cammy, gingerly shifting herself into a better position. She then looked at her companion. "Rose, I've been intending to ask, because the whole thing seems pretty ridiculous to me...if Gill and his men are operating in the Mediterranean, why would they want to take any hostages all the way to China?"

"Oh, yes. About that," said Rose. "Well, first things first. I spoke to the man who's piloting this plane right now and asked him why they would take a detour to China. He said that already they have managed to capture two other warriors and have taken them to Gill's base, and at this point there are two more Street Fighters in China that Gill has ordered them to capture. From there the gang will use a highly modified submarine and take a secret undersea path to get to Gill's headquarters. You see, Cammy, Gill's major base of operations is located under the sea, and it is so far down that only a well-equipped submarine can actually get there. It's completely inaccessible by land or air." She grinned. "The pilot was quite eager to share information after I promised to spare his life in the instance that you woke up early."

Cammy scowled and looked out of her window. "But what's in China?" she asked. "I mean, over in Asia there are only two fighters of merit...Ryu and Chun Li..."

Rose nodded gravely. "Those two are two of the world's strongest warriors. If Gill were to ever get his hands on either of them, their energy could be used for catastrophic purposes..."

Cammy knew now that this whole thing was about more than just her mission for England. This was something that included the entire world; if left unstopped, Gill could, perhaps, unleash as much or more catastrophe than M. Bison himself.

"Rose," said Cammy. "You know about Gill's power. Just how strong is he?"

Rose looked at her. "I'll be blunt: Gill possesses great power, much, much more than Bison ever had. When he hosted the third Street Fighter tournament a few years ago, he was not nearly as strong as he is now, and even then Ryu had a very difficult time defeating him. If our friends are not ready to take on Gill now, then I fear that the world will see very dark days ahead."

BEIJING, CHINA

Chun Li woke up, feeling slightly tired. Not that she could help it - she'd spent half the night weeping in her sleep. She had never known Ryu to carry such a burden in his soul; in fact, it made her own bitter story of vengeance against Bison for killing her father pale in comparison. _Ryu...please be strong, for your own sake as well as mine..._

Truth be told, she had always had a sort of fascination toward Ryu. When they'd first met at the second Street Fighter tournament, at first he'd come across as some sort of silent-type guy who only cared about fighting; but as the years passed by, she'd come to hold a sort of quiet, secret crush for him. Of course, she'd never told anybody else about it, especially not him. _If only I had done it long ago,_ she lamented, _but then what good would it have done?_

She went over to the sliding doors and stepped out onto the verandah. The sun was just starting to peek over the distant mountains, and as the roosters crowed nearby to signal the start of a new day, she caught sight of Ryu training on one of the practice dummies in the courtyard.

Something about the way he was always training fascinated her...not just his physical appearance (and he had a VERY handsome body!), but also the sheer determination she could sense in every punch or kick he delivered to the dummy. As she stood there and watched him, he gradually became aware of her presence.

"Oh, I'm sorry; did I disturb your training?" she asked, apologetic.

"Nah, not at all," he answered. "Did you come to train, too?"

"Well, no, but now that you mention it...I would like to show you how much my skills have improved over the years," she admitted. She stepped back inside, asking for him to wait for just a moment.

Five minutes later she emerged, wearing her traditional Chinese jump suit. Her hair was no longer hanging down as it had been a few minutes earlier, but rather it was now tied back in a neat little bun. "Ready?" she asked.

Ryu got into his fighting stance. "Whenever you are," he answered. Inside him, though, there was a tinge of worry. _I...for some reason, I don't want to hurt her, even though this is just a sparring match..._ His thoughts then went off into battle mode as Chun Li attacked.

She launched toward him with a double-kick to the chest, which he blocked rather easily. Landing, she followed up the attack with two quick feint punches, then flipped over and sent a downward arc kick to his head. Blocking it with both hands, Ryu pushed her away, then started a counterattack of his own: a spinning backhand, followed seconds later by two left jabs, a foot sweep and a right elbow to the face. Chun Li was able to block and evade the first four attacks, but the elbow caught her square in the jaw and sent her spiraling.

Surprised that he'd landed a hit on her face, Ryu immediately forgot they were sparring. "Oh, dear God! Chun Li, are you all right?" he asked, running up to her.

As he said that, she quickly wrapped her legs around his ankles, tripping him up and causing him to land squarely on his face. "Lesson One, Ryu: Never let your guard down for a moment." She shook her head. "Honestly, I never would've thought you, of all people, would forget something that important."

Ryu blushed and grinned. "Sorry."

She released him from her leg hold and sat up. "Hey...you really were worried about me there, weren't you...?"

Ryu was genuinely surprised - how had she managed to see that? "Well...I...I guess so," he admitted sheepishly. Now he was completely flushed with embarrassment.

Chun Li giggled like a little child. "Oh, wow! I mean, you're not the first guy who's ever had that type of concern for me, but..." Her eyes softened. "Well, I think maybe you can figure it out."

By now poor Ryu was as red as a beet. Chun Li continued, "Honestly, Ryu, I never would've thought that you, of all the guys I've known over the years, would be THIS concerned for my well-being. I mean, you've always been so...so quiet!" She laughed.

Ryu laughed, too - and then suddenly his eyes glanced to one side and his mood was all serious. "Hey, Chun Li," he motioned to her, "ever seen a truck like that one over there before?"

Wondering what he was talking about, she looked in the direction he was pointing and caught sight of a black Leyland truck with a strange red and blue insignia on the side. "Ryu," she said cautiously, "only one truck comes to this side of town this early: the garbage truck. And believe me, that is most certainly not it."

As they watched the mystery truck, they noticed that it was passing by rather slowly; perhaps, to lessen the chance of waking anyone in the neighborhood as its bearers passed. "I have a bad feeling about that truck," said Ryu. "Hey - I can sense someone's chi energy! Very faint, but it's there - in the back of the truck!"

"Hey, yeah - I can sense it too!" Chun Li agreed. "What say we follow it right now and see what's going on?"

Together, the two warriors stole along the various buildings, scaling the fences and all the while getting closer and closer to the truck. A sheet of tarpaulin covered up the back entrance; carefully they moved it aside and entered the back of the truck.

Inside, there were two men, apparently sleeping. In between them, in chains, was a man both warriors knew only too well.

"Guile!" Chun Li whispered, in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

AUSTIN COUNTY HOSPITAL, TEXAS

Ken stood by the hospital room window, eyeing Jane and Amy with some degree of worry. Looking at Jane especially, reminded Ken too much of what had befallen Eliza back in Seattle. He had just come back from making a long-distance phone call to the Seattle's General Hospital and had been assured by Eliza's father that she was doing fine; but that didn't stop him from worrying.

And even as he worried, Ken also felt the familiar spark of anger coming back into his blood. Nobody could dare attack his own or his brother-in-law's family and expect to live to tell about it. _They still have my son, too,_ he reminded himself grimly. _They're all going to pay dearly - every single one of them!_

At length Amy was the first to come around. Her eyes opened slowly, and as her vision adjusted she saw Ken. "Uncle Ken?" she said, still half-dazed. "What...what are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi, honey," he greeted her warmly. "Just gimme a sec, okay? I'll be right back!" He trotted out of the room, calling, "Hey, Cody, Guy, come on! They're coming around!"

In a moment Ken returned with Guy, Cody and a man in a white coat - the doctor. By this time Jane had come around, as well, and she was pleasantly surprised to be surrounded by so many kind faces. "Why, Ken, you never told me you had this many friends!" she said.

Ken made the introductions. "This," pointing to the doctor, "is Doctor Hubert. He's told us that there's nothing wrong with either of you physically; with a couple of days' rest you'll be fine."

"That is right," said Dr. Hubert, smiling confidently. "As long as you ladies stay put for a while, there will be no long-term problems. The most that would really be wrong with either of you is exhaustion; but a couple of hours' bed-rest should take care of that, no problem."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Jane gratefully.

"Okay, Jane," said Ken, sitting by her bedside. "I know this is gonna be a little sudden, but...you're not the only ones who got attacked by these jokers." He then told them the tragic story of what had happened to Mel and Eliza.

"They did that? How horrible!" said Amy. "As if taking Daddy away from us wasn't enough!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Ken. "Now, just let us have some information and we'll get both Mel and your dad back, okay? Now, can you remember where they kept you?"

"Well..." Jane tried to remember. "It was close to an abandoned airstrip all the way in China - Beijing, I think. I remember that there was a building across from where we were held...it had a sort of strange red and blue symbol or something painted on it."

"Well, that's a start," said Cody. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can catch up to them. Although I don't like the idea of flying such a long distance, it'll be worth it if we can shut them down for good."

"I agree," said Guy. "What do you say, Ken?"

Ken was silent a moment. "Could I have a moment alone with the girls, please?" he asked.

No one objected; and soon he and the women were alone in the room. "Girls, I...I'm only sorry I wasn't there earlier," he said quietly.

"Don't be, Uncle Ken," said Amy gently.

"Listen, Ken," said Jane. "I know that you and William never did get along too well, but...in the last few months, he'd been commenting on how you were always there to have his back whenever he needed assistance. He always did speak highly of you, even though you may never have known about it."

Ken held his head down in shame. True, he and Guile had never gotten along as brothers-in-law...but to know that the old soldier had always felt that sort of confidence in him...that was motivation enough for him now.

"Listen to me...both of you," he said, firmly. "I promise you, on my life, that I will get Guile and Mel back from these guys, no matter what it takes. Trust me to do that."

The girls smiled at him. "We've always believed in you, Uncle Ken," said Amy. "Please...get Daddy and Mel back."

Ken nodded, squeezing both their hands together in his own. _Oh, I will get them back...even if I have to search the whole world over to find them..._


	12. CHAPTER 10 The Storm

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 10

ON THE ROAD TO SOMEWHERE IN BEIJING, CHINA

"Guile...Guile!" Chun Li whispered anxiously. "Are you all right?"

Guile slowly raised his head. His face was badly bruised, and a dried trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "Chun Li…Ryu...? How'd you guys find me?"

"We'll explain that later, Colonel," said Ryu, tugging at Guile's chains. "Right now, let's get you out of here."

"No - don't!" Guile hissed. "My chain's connected to the front compartment of the truck! If I try to escape, they'll know!"

As he said, the truck suddenly picked up speed. The unexpected shift in speed lurched Ryu and Chun Li forward, slamming them into the side of the truck close to the two guards. At that moment the two guards awoke; but before they could come to terms with what had happened, Ryu and Chun Li knocked them out.

"All right, Guile," said Ryu, stooping to be on face-level with his friend. "What's going on? How did you get yourself captured like this?"

"It's these damn guys," Guile grumbled, and he recounted the story of how he'd had to fight in the Austin tournament to redeem his family, only to be taken prisoner by the Mad Gear. "Looks like I was their real target all along," he finished. "They only took Jane and Amy to serve as the bait to lure me into their trap."

"But that's just so - wrong!" Chun Li spurted. "What could they possibly want with you, anyway? From what I know about the Mad Gear, their beef is with Guy, not you!"

"Actually, I can explain." Guile shifted his shoulders because the chains were starting to chafe him. "Their leader, Rolento, and I go back a long way - a VERY long way to be exact. You see, fifteen or so years ago, while I was still in the Special Forces, our squad had orders to apprehend Rolento and bring him in. We'd pinpointed his location to an abandoned aircraft hangar, and we thought it would be easy; but when we got there, Rolento's boys ambushed us and destroyed almost the entire squad. I and another team member survived - but the kid blamed me for leading us into the ambush, and tried to kill me for it. I've never forgiven Rolento for what happened that day, and I've been looking for any opportunity to settle the score ever since."

"I see," said Ryu thoughtfully. "So, Guile, any idea where they're taking you right now?"

"Not sure," Guile admitted. "Although, from what I've overheard them saying so far, their base seems to be an abandoned airstrip not far from here."

At length the truck slowed down, then stopped. "Looks like we've arrived at wherever we should be at," said Chun Li.

"Don't worry, Guile - we'll be right back for you, once we scope out this place," said Ryu. "Then together we'll take these guys down!"

But as the duo pulled back the tarpaulin - they were met with several dozen barrels of sub-machine guns staring them in the face. "Oh, crap," Chun Li muttered. "We HAVE arrived."

In a matter of moments all three Street Fighters, now bound in chains, were being thrust into a man-made prison cell. "This bites!" Chun Li fumed.

"We'll just have to get used to it, I suppose," said Ryu.

In five minutes one of the guards passed back by their cell. "Our commander wants to have a word with the lot of you," he informed them.

The three waited while the guard exited the room. In another moment he returned, this time with someone behind him. "Hello, warriors," the new person said.

Ryu reared up. "Urien?"

"The one and only." Urien spat in disgust. "Of course, there are other places I'd rather be right now, but I just happened to be here on a routine check, and then the men informed me that you and Ms. Li there had been caught trying to free our first prisoner. So, I decided I had to come down and see you."

"Now I understand," said Chun Li. "If you're here, then that means only one person could be behind all of this..."

"Bravo - we have a smart girl here!" Urien replied, in a mock congratulatory voice. "Of course, my brother is indeed the mastermind behind it all...and our plans will not be opposed, now that we have you three. Once we finish destroying all opposition to our cause, nothing will stop us from completing our objectives."

"World domination, right?" Guile asked.

"Not exactly, but I'll give you points for making a good guess," said Urien. "The truth is, domination of the entire world would be MY objective, but as Ms. Li should know already, my brother is intent on taking only America, and making himself its president. He does have the contacts, after all." And, chuckling, he left them alone.

"All right, I think I'm entitled to an explanation," said Guile. "You guys know these jokers? From where?"

"Well...we first met them at the third Street Fighter tournament, two years ago," explained Ryu. "You weren't there, so you wouldn't have known. Ken and I fought Urien and his brother, Gill, and stopped their plan to use the tournament to dominate the planet. That's about it in a nutshell."

"This is like Bison's plan all over again," Guile grumbled.

"Yes, only Gill is much more powerful than Bison ever was," said Chun Li. "I was at the tournament, too, working undercover to bring down Gill's secret empire. I was witness to the final battle between Ryu and Gill...and Ryu, of course, was the victor."

"Well, barely," Ryu admitted. "Gill was much, much stronger than anyone I'd ever faced in my life. But I never thought he'd still be around."

"Well, what've they got against ME?" Guile complained.

"Probably not them, but Rolento," offered Chun Li. "Now that I think about it, maybe Rolento is in league with them - him and his entire Mad Gear gang."

"That makes sense," said Guile thoughtfully. "If what this Urien guy said is true - if Gill does have the contacts and informants to keep his empire going - then perhaps they bought out Rolento and his group. The Mad Gear is a small army in itself, you know."

Just then, from the adjacent room, they heard what sounded like arguing. "What do you mean, the flight is late?" they heard Urien asking.

A lackey answered, "Sir, the plane was supposed have arrived with the shipment of goods about an hour and a half ago, but something has happened and the plane has not arrived yet. Without that stock here on time, our plans will have to be set back by a few hours..."

"And Ken Masters and those Metro City whelps? Wasn't Vega supposed to have been in charge of them? He should have gotten here with them by now!"

"We just received word from him that they escaped from our secret headquarters in Texas, sir. We don't know where they are now."

"Incompetent fools!" Urien stormed. "I KNEW it was a bad idea for Gill to have recruited Rolento and Vega the way he did!"

Chun Li's face registered pure, genuine shock. "Vega?" she whispered hoarsely. "He's alive?"

"Now, calm down," said Ryu. "There's no way of knowing if it's really him. After all, how many people do you know who may have that name? There are lots of Spaniards in that country, after all."

"But what if it IS?" Chun Li looked at him imploringly. "Ryu, what if?"

All three of them looked at each other. There wasn't anything any of them could say to that.

In the next room, they could hear Urien speak again. "Oh, well...at least our first two captives arrived at the headquarters without any hindrance. Now the plan can really be set into motion."

The small aircraft landed softly and quietly just outside the abandoned airstrip. "That's it over there, all right," Ken announced as he stepped off the plane. "There's that building with the funny-looking insignia, just as Jane said."

"So, now what do we do, now that we're here?" asked Cody.

Guy, the last to get off the plane, grinned. "We go in there, old school style!" he said. "Say, Ken, you up for a little rough-housing?"

"Might as well." Ken slammed his knuckles together. "I'm in the mood to kick some people's asses anyway!"

Rose and Cammy's aircraft was a quarter of a mile from the airstrip, preparing to land. "How do you feel, Cammy?" asked Rose.

"Hey, as long as I can fight, I have no complaints," said Cammy, slipping her gauntlets on and tucking her cap back into place. "How much longer?"

"About another five minutes or so," said Rose. "Excuse me, pilot, but how many are supposed to be meeting this plane to unload it?"

"About eight or so, ma'am," the pilot replied. "Of course, there's plenty more of them there than that. The two of you alone can't take them out!"

Rose silently pulled out one of her tarot cards and gazed intently into it. "Hmmm...It appears we won't have to," she announced. "Cammy, we'll soon be saying hello to some of our old friends."

"Honestly?" Cammy asked. "Who?"

Rose took out another tarot card and looked at it. "Some of your allies from Bison's tournament, including a few others. Sound good enough?"

"Yes, that's good enough for me." Cammy grinned. "Well, let's get ready to greet our loaders, eh?"

"Commander! Commander Urien!"

The guard ran into the main building with a sense of urgency, right up to the observation deck where Urien was standing.

"What do you want? I thought I said no disturbances!" Urien barked.

"Sorry, sir. But the supply plane has just arrived, sir! It's preparing to land even now as we speak!"

Urien smirked. "About time. Now go on, help the men unload the plane. Now!"

"Yes, sir!" The guard saluted, then ran back outside, leaving Urien alone with his thoughts. _Although I still don't understand...what could you possibly want with a bunch of old, useless crystals mined from out of the middle of nowhere, dear brother...?_

Ken, Guy and Cody stole along the sides of the buildings, careful to remain in the shadows lest they be seen. Then, safely hidden among various boxes and crates near the fence, they watched as the small plane ran along the taxiway, and then came to a full stop.

"Supply plane?" suggested Cody.

"Maybe. Although it seems a little small..." muttered Guy.

"Hey, never mind about that, let's just storm 'em already!" urged Ken.

"Nothing doing," said Guy. "Those guys are armed, and what do WE have besides our bare hands? We need to think of a plan to effectively take down these guys."

They watched as the door to the plane opened and one of the guards stepped inside. A few seconds later, however, and much to the astonishment of his teammates, he flew back out, screaming in pain.

"Well, we have the catalyst," said Ken. "Somebody's decided to screw up their operation!"

"We can take advantage of this moment! Let's go!" Guy yelled. Ken and Cody nodded, following Guy as he charged toward the plane.


	13. CHAPTER 11 Furious Fighters

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 11

AN ABANDONED AIRSTRIP OUTSIDE BEIJING, CHINA

"It's an ambush! Ambush!" the guards screamed, lifting their rifles as they prepared to fire - but a spark of energy from Rose's scarf knocked them all down.

"Good work, Cammy! Now let's really give it to them, what d'you say?" Rose called to her ally.

"I think so, too!" Cammy then turned and saw three figures running toward her. She recognized only one of them, though. "Well, I'll be a bloody monkey's auntie - it's Ken Masters! What brings you here, old chum?"

"Great to see you, too, Cammy!" said Ken. "But right now, we're on a rescue mission. We think these jerk-offs may be holding Guile here somewhere!"

Guy, coming to a pit stop, looked up and saw Rose. His jaw fell right there as he stared at her. _Rose? But...how can it be possible...?_

As if she'd read his mind, Rose quickly answered, "We don't have any time for talk right now! For the moment, let's just fight!"

"Okay, let's split up!" Cody yelled, as a burst of gunfire headed their way. "You girls head that way and do as much damage as you can! We'll go over here and try to find Ken's friend!"

Nobody had any objection. But as the two groups moved away, Guy shot a look at Rose as if to say, "You owe me an explanation when this is over..."

"What's going on out there?" Chun Li asked, bewildered, as the sounds of gunfire echoed into their cell.

"Something must've happened up there," said Guile. "Some sort of sabotage, maybe..."

Just then there was a loud "HADOKEN!" and then the door flew inward - and who should step in but Ken Masters himself. "Well, I'll be! Hey, you guys, long time no see! Well, step back and let my man Cody deal with this lock!" As if on cue, Cody appeared through the door and started hammering at the lock.

"Thanks, Ken - I owe you big-time!" said Ryu. "Are you the ones who started the commotion up there?"

"Yep - us and Guy, and Cammy and Rose are here too!" said Ken. "Now, with all of us together, it's a full house!"

At last Cody broke the cell door open, and rushed in, freeing the three captive Street Fighters from their chains. "Ken, you'll never believe who's the mastermind behind all of this," Ryu began as he was freed.

"Tell me later - right now we've got a base to thrash!" Ken quickly turned and elbowed a guard who had stormed into the room at that moment. "Now, let's get out of here!"

Urien stood there quietly, but shaking with rage, as he viewed the chaos outside. _So...my brother's plan has come to naught, eh? Well, this isn't over yet!_ He snapped his fingers, and three figures appeared out of the shadows, each armed with something.

"Sodom, Caine, Wong...why don't you go and show our guests what it means to suffer."

"Soul Spark!" Rose released another blast of energy from her scarf, dropping two guards at once. "How's it coming over there, Cammy?" she called.

Cammy, armed with a semi-automatic she'd snatched from one of the fallen guards, fired repeatedly at the ones putting the assault on her. "Could be better!" she admitted. "Come on, you little bastards, you want more hot lead!"

Nearby, Guy was dealing quite effectively with his share of henchmen. "I never thought I'd be fighting any Mad Gear thugs ever again," he said as he elbowed one in the chest, "but this feels too good to be true! Yeah!"

At that moment, from the warehouse behind the trio, there was a double shout of "HADOKEN!" and a moment later the doors were blasted outward, along with several guards. Ryu, Ken and the others then emerged from the broken doorway, the former two's hands smoking from the large chi force they'd just used.

"Looks like that's the last of them," said Guy. "Why, hello there, friends; I never expected to see you again under these circumstances!"

"Good to see you, too, Guy." Ryu nodded and gave him the thumbs up.

Suddenly there was a large explosion from one of the larger warehouses nearby, one that made all eight of the Street Fighters duck for cover due to its intensity. As the smoke cleared, though, they could make out three figures emerging from the flames.

"Hey - that guy with the swords - I fought him back in Texas!" Guile informed the group. "Looks like he's here for revenge or something."

"Let us handle these guys," Guy declared, as he and Cody stepped up to the fight. "We've handled them before. We know how they fight."

"I'll help, too," Ken offered, stepping up alongside the two Metro City warriors. Together, the trio prepared to fight the three Mad Gear henchmen.

"I've got dibs on Caine," declared Cody, as he stepped forward to face the one carrying a giant wrench.

"Ken, you take Wong - that fat Chinese thug," said Guy. "Sodom's all mine."

With each of their opponents decided, the battle was on.

Urien watched the fight progress from the safety of his observation deck. Just then, his cell phone rang, and he answered it. "Hello?"

On the other line, his brother spoke. "Urien, the operation. Has it failed?"

"The stock HAS come in, but...the Street Fighters are wrecking our plans. Even now, three of them are fighting with Mad Gear's henchmen," Urien informed him.

"Very well. And I suppose Rose is there with them?"

Urien looked outside. "Yes. Yes, she is."

"Good. Then everything is drawing to a climax." Gill chuckled. "Soon, very soon, they will all pay for having ever defied me. Call Rolento and Vega, and tell them to come back to base. You must return, too, and take the crystals you've gotten with you."

"Do you mean..."

"Yes. That is exactly what I mean."

_"Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!"_

Ken performed his Hurricane Kick, kicking Wong in the face and knocking him over. Landing, Ken sent two solid punches to the other man's gut, toppling him over. "Nice!" he declared.

Nearby, Guy and Sodom were looking each other down hard. Sodom then said, "Guy, today is the day when I will repay my debt for when you defeated me all those years ago. Today is the day when I will kill you!" With that he charged forward, slashing his swords at Guy's head. The ninja dodged aside, though, and gathered chi energy into his hand.

"Bushin Fire Blast!" He released the chi into a short, yet effective, fireball that slammed into Sodom's exposed gut and sent him tumbling.

Cody and Caine were really slugging it out. Armed with a knife, Cody was able to block Caine's wrench for a while; then, quite suddenly, Caine moved his arm at twice the normal speed, hitting Cody all over the body and sending him staggering back a few steps.

Cody glared at him, his eyes filled with rage. "All right, now I'm mad! Take this!" He rushed up to Caine and began to jab-punch repeatedly, increasing the strength of his punches until he gave an uppercut - one that created a mini-tornado and blew Caine into a wall.

Wong got up, fairly stunned from Ken's assault, but howling with fury. Running forward, he spun like a cannonball as he charged at Ken. On the other hand, Ken saw the attack coming and countered with a Shoryuken, one that combo-ed three times and completely cut Wong out of his attack. Ken then finished with a flying Hurricane Kick that hit four times and completely put his opponent out of action.

Sodom charged at Guy repeatedly, determined to finish his age-old rival. Guy merely dodged his enemy's swords, waiting for the right moment to attack. At the very last minute, Guy suddenly flipped backwards, then just as quickly bounced off the wall. As he flipped over Sodom, he stomped down into the opponent's shoulders, then quickly flipped over and grabbed him, flinging him to one side. Sodom crashed into Wong's unconscious body, totally knocked out.

Caine jumped back up, ready to start doing damage again. As he got up, though he felt a stone hit him in the face; then felt a flying kick to the chest. Grabbing him, Cody flung him over his shoulder, then followed it up with another flying kick to send Caine falling to join his Mad Gear associates on the ground.

"Whew...that was a hard fight," Ken admitted, sinking down to the ground. "But these guys are such wimps! Did they ever give you any REAL trouble back in Metro City, you guys?"

"Well, Sodom did," admitted Guy. "But, for the most part -"

A sudden blast interrupted him as the large warehouse exploded again. This time, appearing out of the flames was Urien.

Ken stared in astonishment. "What! You! But - but I -"

"It is true, Ken Masters, you did defeat me in my brother's tournament two years ago," Urien answered. "But in the last two years since then, we have been plotting our revenge against you and against the other Street Fighters who contributed to our downfall. And finally, the moment is close at hand!"

Urien glared at the warriors before him. "Of course, my brother is not without his honor. In fact, in order so that the matter may be settled once and for all to determine which of us is truly the strongest, he invites all of you to come to our hidden lair in the Mediterranean. There will be a submarine docked in a secret boat dock in Hong Kong, one that will bring you to our lair. The others and I will be waiting for you there, so make sure that you make it. I will leave orders with the man in charge of that dock to let you pass. Oh, and Rose," looking directly at her, "Gill says to tell you that he will not tolerate traitors. Your punishment will be swift and very painful." With that and a chuckle, he turned and walked off.

The warriors were silent for a moment. "'Traitor'?" asked Cammy. "Rose, just what did he mean by that?"

"Yes, Rose," said Guy suddenly. "I think you owe ALL of us an explanation about this. What in the hell is going on?"

All of them turned to look at Rose. She averted her eyes from their gaze. "Very well - I will tell you everything," she sighed. "But not here...we need to get someplace safe. Afterward, I will explain the whole story for your benefit."

"All right, then," said Ryu. "Let's all go back to Chun Li's dojo. We can learn everything we need to know once we get there." Nobody else had any objection to the plan.

Urien, watching the group from a nearby hilltop, phoned Gill. "Everything is in motion, Gill," he reported. "Now all they need to do is find themselves to that submarine in Hong Kong, and then we can exact our revenge on them."

"Good." Gill's voice was gravelly.

"I've just phoned Rolento and Vega, as well," continued Urien. "They should arrive at the base by midnight tonight."

"All right. Hurry and get back here, now. Everything must be in readiness for our visitors to show up."

Urien hung up. _Soon, you little insects, very soon, you will know the meaning of revenge. And when you do, it will be a most bitter lesson for you to learn..._


	14. CHAPTER 12 The Truths Are Revealed

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 12

BEIJING, CHINA

It was almost midday when they all arrived back at the old dojo in the middle of town. Luckily, it was Sunday, so the students would not be expected in at any time. This was the perfect time, the gang thought, for Rose to give her explanation.

They were all gathered in the training room, with Rose seated before all of them. "All right, Rose," said Guy. "Would you like to begin explaining what's going on?"

Rose didn't look at him or at any of the others for a long moment. When she finally did, she started to speak. "In order for me to tell the full details of the story, I must first give all of you a bit of background information - a bit of information concerning what happened a few years before the second Street Fighter tournament began twelve years ago."

Everyone leaned forward a little, eager to hear.

"You see," Rose began, "at that time, Bison had been increasing in power, thanks to his 'Psycho Drive' which allowed him to unleash great amounts of energy upon the world, and also gave him, to a degree, immortality. Most of you who had come in contact with him around that time may already know that fact."

The group members nodded.

"Anyhow," she continued, "I had been searching for Bison for many years, in order to put a stop to his abuse of his power. I first found him, with Chun Li's help, and was able to seal away some of his power, but not nearly enough that he wouldn't be able to continue his mad schemes." There was a slight nod from Chun Li at this point; she, too, remembered how she had battled Bison to distract him while Rose sealed away his powers.

"After a time of searching, I finally found Bison once again," Rose went on. "We had a fierce duel at that point...one that I..."

"One that Rose didn't survive," Guy filled in the gap. "I was present at that fight. Bison and Rose literally killed each other that day."

The others looked at each other with some surprise. Cammy herself looked like she'd be sick right there. "So...how did Bison survive? How COULD he have survived?" she asked weakly.

"The thing is, Bison had by then learned a way to survive without his body," Rose explained. "His soul had become one with the Psycho Drive, so all he had to do after our battle was to come back and re-possess his own body. That was around the time his Street Fighter tournament began."

"And most of us know what happened at that tournament," Guile said. "Ryu here won the whole thing by defeating Bison. After that, Bison just disappeared."

"No, he hadn't just disappeared," Ryu amended. "He was killed...shortly after our fight. Ken, you may know who was responsible."

Ken nodded. Of course he knew. It was Akuma who had used his Shun Goku Satsu on Bison, ending his life, right after the fight with Ryu had exhausted him.

"So, what about YOU, Rose?" asked Chun Li. "How did you come back to life?"

"Unfortunately, my coming back was not by choice," Rose answered. "It was Gill's doing. Those of you who participated in his tournament may not know this, but...the whole time you were fighting each other, Gill was collecting small fragments of energy from each of you, in order to resurrect me. All he needed was to find my body, and just a year ago he was successful in using the gathered energy and his own magic force to reanimate me."

"I see..." Cammy was at a loss for words at first. "So, Gill brought you back from the dead to make you one of his slaves to take over the world, right? Is that why Urien called you a traitor?"

"Yes, that's basically it. But...there's a lot more to the story than that." Rose swallowed hard. "You see, long, long ago both Bison and I were members of a group that sought to perfect the use of the Psycho Drive. We had been members of the group ever since we were very young children, and even when I was hunting Bison down I had been keeping in contact with the other members of the group. That group...is Gill's empire."

"Say what!" Cody shot up, infuriated.

"Stand down, Cody! Let her finish." Guy's voice held a certain quality to it. "We do owe her this much."

"Thank you, Guy." Rose took a breath, then continued. "The thing is, shortly before my last fight with Bison, I had declared that I would cut all ties with Gill and his group. I had seen by then that their interest in the outside world was not for its benefit, but it was just a way of analyzing it to determine how to take it over. Bison had wanted to grasp power for himself instead of for Gill's glory, so that is why they declared him a renegade member of the faction. I, of course, failed in my mission to bring him back. You know what happened after that, twelve years ago."

"There's one thing I still don't quite understand, Rose," said Chun Li. Her face looked very troubled. "Didn't your parents think it cruel to make you a member of that group?"

Rose closed her eyes; her face looked as though she were in pain. "They didn't care. You see, both my mother and my father were High Priests for the organization, and they saw to it that all of us were trained in Psycho Power to the fullest of our individual abilities. Bison excelled in his energy, of course, and he taught me how to control mine. Gill trained both of us, and showed us how to use our energy as a weapon against our enemies."

"How horrible..." Again, Cammy was at a loss for words.

"That's so freakin' heartless." This from Ken. "I knew that Gill's organization was brutal to begin with, but to do this to children...it's unheard of!"

Now Ryu spoke. He had an issue on his mind that troubled him greatly. "Rose...I think I've figured this thing out, but I need you to confirm it for me. My question is...if your father was a High Priest, would that make Bison or Gill anything to you?"

All eyes were now on Rose as Ryu asked this question. Her face now looked sad, void of all other emotion. One look at her and one could easily tell that she had been carrying a cruel burden all her life.

"Bison was nothing more than a teacher to me. But Gill...he was...is...my father."

"Wow." For once in his life, Ken was unable to say much of anything.

"Harsh, isn't it." This from Ryu.

The two old friends were seated on the rooftop of the dojo, looking up at the sun as it started to set in the western hemisphere. It had been so long since the pair had actually done anything together, but right now they didn't really feel to do anything at all.

"So...is what you're telling me really true, Ryu? Akuma killed Master Gen?"

"I regretfully say it is so, Ken. Chun Li saw it with her own two eyes - Akuma defeated Master Gen in battle, then murdered him with Ansatsuken's forbidden knowledge."

"How's she taking it?"

"Pretty hard, actually. For the second time in her life, she's lost someone she's very close to the hand of evil."

"And you?"

"It's a bitter pill to swallow. Master Gen was the closest thing I ever had to a father, or even an uncle - he had always been a close friend to Sensei, you know. And even worse, this only serves as a reminder that Akuma is always somewhere close by. I know that one day, eventually, he and I will HAVE to fight. My worry is whether I'll be ready for him when that time comes."

"You told me that he and Sagat were teamed against you?"

"That's what has me scared, Ken. To think that Sagat was so easily influenced by Akuma, even though he wasn't actually possessed by Satsui no Hado...it unnerves me, man."

Just at that moment Guile popped up on the rooftop. "Excuse me, Ryu, but Chun Li said she needed to speak with you. And Ken, could I have a moment?"

Ryu excused himself and dropped down to the ground. Guile came over and sat beside Ken. By this time the first stars of twilight were coming out. "Gonna be a nice night; that I can predict," Guile commented.

"How do you know?"

"When you've been in the Army as long as I have, and you have nothing to do but look up at the night sky, you'll understand." Guile sighed for a moment. "Look, Ken. I know you and I have never really seen eye-to-eye over the years, but you ought to know - I never once referred to you as NOT being my brother-in-law. I owed Jane and Amy that much, after being away from them all those years I was tracking Bison down."

"I know. Jane told me."

"She did? Then you saw her?"

"I saw both of them. They'll be all right, Guile - they just want to see you safely home where you belong."

"I certainly will, but first I'm gonna help you rescue Melvin. He is my nephew, after all. It's the least I can do, seeing as how you saved your sister-in-law and niece from harm."

"Done deal." The two brothers-in-law clasped hands together to seal the agreement.

Rose sat in the room alone, contemplating. "Guy, why aren't you outside with the others?"

Guy emerged from the shadows near the door. "I wanted to speak to you in private." He sat down beside her. "Rose, I need to know. All that time you'd been resurrected...you never even gave me any signal. Why?"

"Because I had to constantly be watching my back. In Gill's headquarters, even the walls have eyes and ears." Rose looked at him. "Believe me, Guy, if I had had the first chance to contact you, I would have. I just...I had to lay low for a little while, even after I escaped from my father."

Guy said nothing, but just looked at her. She could see all the years of loneliness and grieving reflected in his eyes.

"Guy...when he first resurrected me, my father tried to strip me of all my memories of everything that happened before my death. Had I allowed him to do that, everything I knew would be gone...including my memories of all my friends...and you." She fought hard to keep the tears back. "But that's the real reason why I betrayed him - I couldn't let him do that to me. And I just want you to understand...all that time that I was there, I never once forgot about you. Not even for a moment."

Still Guy made no reply, but now Rose could feel his hand holding onto hers with hope; and she squeezed it with affection.

"You wanted to talk to me, Chun Li?"

"Yes, Ryu."

The two were standing together on the porch, watching the stars twinkling above. "Ryu, there's something I've been meaning to tell you ever since you came to Beijing...and now, with everything that's happened, with Master Gen's death and Gill's return...I just feel that I need to say this while I still have a chance." Her voice was quavery.

Ryu looked at her with concern. "Okay. What is it?"

She looked straight at him. "Ryu, do you remember when I told you that there was a certain special someone I was thinking of?"

"Yes. And you gave a pretty good description of him, too."

"I know." She smiled a little. "Ryu...that man that I was talking about...everything that I said...do you know who I was referring to?"

Ryu closed his eyes in thought. "I have an idea, but...I want to hear it from your own mouth, Chun Li."

She nodded. Now she made no effort to hold her tears back. "That man...that man is you, Ryu. You are the one who's so special to me. Ever since the first time I met you twelve years ago...I always felt that there was this certain special something about you. I tried to deny it so many times, partly because I had other things on my mind, but more because I knew that it might really be true. But even more than that - I know you're a free spirit, and that you probably wouldn't understand or return my...oh, what am I saying? Now I'm talking crap..." She held her head down, the tears dropping to the floor.

To her surprise, Ryu gently pulled her into his arms. "Chun Li...in all honesty, I always knew that you felt this way. But I've never been too close to anybody - not even my best friend, Ken - because...I've been afraid all this time. Afraid of...what Akuma could do to the ones I care about, just to get to me."

Chun Li couldn't answer; she was speechless.

"But now," Ryu went on, quietly, "now I don't have to be afraid anymore. With all of us working together against a common enemy...with friends by my side...at least I can be free to express myself." He pulled her in even closer.

Again she couldn't answer; but now, too, Chun Li couldn't stop the flutter of happiness that filled her heart. "Ryu..." she whispered softly.


	15. CHAPTER 13 The Final Assault Begins

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 13

BEIJING, CHINA

"Hey. Hey, wake up!"

Cody groaned and rolled over. "Aw, c'mon, Dad, just a little longer..." he grumbled.

The next thing he knew, he could feel ice-cold water pouring all over him. "HEY!" he yelled, jumping up.

Standing over him was a grinning Guy, holding a now half-empty bucket. "Works every time!" he announced.

"Oh, man..." Cody groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, do you even have any idea what time it is? It's not even dawn yet!"

"Exactly." Guy dragged Cody out of his bed. "We need to be off to a good start if we're going to infiltrate Gill's lair."

"Oh - oh, yeah, that's right!" Cody was fully awake now. "Well, just give me five minutes and I'll be ready."

Forty-five minutes later the eight warriors were on a plane to Hong Kong, all seated close to each other. "So, Rose, what's the plan?" asked Cammy.

"Once we get to Gill's base, I wager that he'll have his strongest warriors on each level of his castle ready to fight," Rose replied. She then explained, "The castle itself has four levels - ground floor, first floor, second floor, and top floor. Gill and his three best warriors will each be waiting on one level of the castle, so they will be expecting us to have four one-on-one battles."

"Makes a lot of tactical sense," Guile said thoughtfully. "Works way better than a full-out free-for-all."

"And besides, this is going to be a series of grudge matches," Guy added. "At least, on each level, one score can be settled."

"So, who'll be fighting whom?" asked Ryu.

Rose took out some of her tarot cards and set them on the little coffee-tray before her. "Hmmm…Well, according to the cards, their battle order is as follows: As the leader, Gill will be waiting on the top floor. Urien, as second-in-command, will be on the second floor, followed by Vega and Rolento on the first and ground floors respectively. Now, here's what I propose we do. Cody and Guy, you may have had experience fighting with Rolento; but I believe Guile should be the one to fight him, as their issue is a matter of soldier's honor and must be resolved. Cammy, I know you want to take revenge on Vega for his nearly killing you in Bison's tournament; but it won't matter to him if you do fight him or not, because Chun Li is the one he wants. That'll leave Ken to fight Urien and Ryu to fight Gill, since they're the only ones with experience with those two."

"What about the rest of us?" Cammy protested.

"Once we get inside the castle, we'll have to have a secondary objective," said Rose. "Now, listen. Gill's plan is to take over the Presidency of the United States, just like it was two years ago; so he'll doubtless have some sort of plan to take himself there to U.S. soil. Cammy, Guy and Cody, I want you three to work together and find a way to put Gill's plans to naught. Even if we do defeat him, he may have some sort of backup plan to carry out his mission. We have to take every possible measure to cut off all of his avenues for success."

"What will you do?" asked Guy.

"I will go with Ryu, Ken, Chun Li and Guile and escort them to each of Gill's henchmen," Rose said. "Sorry, guys, but the rest of you will have to find your own way throughout the castle. But stick together, and you won't have too difficult a problem."

"Will do," answered Cody, and he saluted.

HONG KONG

In an hour, the plane landed at Hong Kong International Airport. From there, the eight heroes took separate transports to the boat docks south of the airport. Chun Li and Cammy happened to be together in a taxi, and the latter took the opportunity to ask a favor.

"Chun Li…"

"Yes?"

"Well, personally I would rather be fighting Vega, but since Rose says that our current plan layout is the best one to follow, I'll go along with it. Just do me one favor: When you meet the bloke, give him a punch to the face from me."

Chun Li grinned. "I'll do my best to remember."

In half an hour, all of the Street Fighters were together at the boat docks. "Well, we're here," said Cody, "but there's no sign of a submarine anywhere."

Just then Ken caught sight of an idle-looking man sitting by himself near a boat. "Maybe he'll know," he suggested. Guile went over to talk to the man.

"Excuse us, but have you seen or heard of any submarines around these parts lately?" he asked. "It's very important."

The man cocked an eye at him. "Submarines?" he said. "No, I haven't - oh, wait! You must be the ones I was told to look out for! Well, come along, then."

They followed him to the end of the dock, where the man then reached into a pocket and pulled out some sort of remote control. As he touched a button, they were all astonished to see a large, state-of-the-art sub emerging from the watery depths. "There she is, ready to set sail," said the man. "But I gotta warn you - you're all making a big mistake opposing the master like this!"

Cammy glared levelly at the man. "Let US decide that for ourselves, eh, mate?" she suggested.

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Gill sat alone in his throne room, wryly eyeing the window that showed the view outside. It was raining heavily, and lightning flashed across the sky as the thunder boomed, but it didn't matter to him. In fact, for him it was perfect weather - foretelling what would happen in the next three hours.

Presently Urien entered the room. "What is it?" Gill asked.

"Brother...everything is in readiness, just as you ordered. The two fighters who we captured earlier, we have sucked enough energy from their bodies, and now we have total control over them. Rolento and Vega have finished their necessary preparations, and are at this moment waiting in their fighting rooms. They wish only to know how long it will be before they can fight." In a lower tone he added, "And…so do I."

"Of course you do, Urien…we all do," Gill answered. "But you should be patient. Our chance will come. All of us will have the opportunity to exact our revenge on those infidels."

"True...and our soldiers are all waiting in and around the castle. Everyone here is hungry for blood."

"As I hoped they would be." Gill waited. "Tell me, Urien...the Masters boy...how is he now?"

"He is still alive, at least," Urien replied. "I will keep him confined so he can act as a trump card in case of any emergency."

"Very well." Gill stood up. "Well...it is time for me to address my troops."

He walked over to the balcony and looked out at the masses. Some of them saw him and shouted. Soon the sea of soldiers was screaming, "Hail Lord Gill! Hail Lord Gill!"

Gill held up his hand for silence. "My brothers," he addressed them, "for far too long we have been kept from achieving our ultimate goal - total domination of the entire world by our secret society! Well, after today we will no longer be a secret, for the unsuspecting people of Earth will bow before our might!" There was a burst of cheering as he said this.

"Now," he went on, "ours has always been a noble cause: to make this world a utopia, one where there will be no conflicting government bodies or rebellious splinter factions. But now, we face a grave threat - outsiders, led by a traitor, are on their way to challenge us. But I say, let us not just crush their ambitions, but let us also humiliate them!" There was more cheering.

"And now," he concluded icily, "I beseech each and every one of you standing before me, prepare yourselves! Let these intruders come as they will, but crush them at the first chance you get! Spread yourselves inside and outside the castle perimeter, and kill anyone you come across who does not fight for our cause! For they will most certainly come here, and attempt to destroy us and our glorious ambitions! But will you allow them to do so? No, you will not! So again I say it to all of you: Death to the infidels!"

At that moment there was such a burst of cheering it seemed to echo throughout the entire Mediterranean Sea. "Death to the infidels! Death to the infidels! Death to the infidels!"

"In three hours, the battle will be fought here, at the castle," Gill concluded. "Let us win this grand war against those who would dare oppose us; and then, afterward, the world will belong to us!"

"HAIL LORD GILL! HAIL LORD GILL! HAIL LORD GILL!"

With a grand flourish, Gill turned and exited the balcony amid the cheering and chanting of his troops. Urien followed behind him, smirking. "That was quite a rousing speech, dear brother," he commented. "It's surely gotten their spirits up."

"And what about you? Would you have been able to make a similar speech?" asked Gill, smirking back at his brother.

Urien faltered. "I...I don't quite think so." To himself he added, _Of course I would._

_"Au contraire,_ Urien." Gill came over and laid a hand on Urien's shoulder. "See, I know exactly how you think. You despise me because, all my life, I have held a higher office in our organization than you could ever hope to. Two years ago, I was President of our society, and you were merely my second-in-command; now you are President, but I am Emperor. Therefore, it is quite understandable that you would be thirsty for power, the type of power I currently hold; the type of power I am capable of holding."

Urien was smiling, but now he was sweating; Gill could indeed see right through him after all. There was no way he could deny it to his brother's face now. Gill, too, could see this.

"I have known this for years, Urien; and yet I kept you here by my side. Do you know why? Because, although you are perhaps the most treacherous of all my soldiers, you are also the one I can trust the most. There is a saying: 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.' I think that could apply to you, eh?"

Still Urien could say nothing to counter that. Gill finished: "Well, brother, let us go and prepare for the upcoming battle. I think, perhaps I should wear something that will be fitting for my upcoming role as President of the United States of America."

2 hours and 55 minutes later...

The submarine was approximately 300 feet underneath the sea by this time, now a few minutes away from Gill's castle. Inside the sub, while their guide from the Hong Kong docks steered them toward their destination, the eight Street Fighters said nothing to each other. Rather, each was thinking his/her own thoughts.

_I can't wait to get there and kick some butt. This whole ride has been BOOO-RING!_ Cody thought to himself as he tightened the pressure bandages on his arms.

As Cammy fixed her gauntlets so they would be comfortably, yet firmly, in place, she thought to herself, _This is going to be a long report for the bosses back at headquarters when this whole thing is through. One thing I'm glad for, though - I'm happy that at least I won't have to do this whole thing alone._

Guy, meditating, had only one repetitive thought running through his head. _Even though I may not get to fight a major fight now, I will nevertheless fight to the best of my ability._

Rose, seated aside from the others, wondered to herself, _What fate awaits me once I set foot back at my father's headquarters?_ _One thing is sure, though; no matter what Destiny has in store for me, whether I am to die again or not, I will know at least that I am truly doing what is right!_

_Just you wait, Rolento,_ Guile swore to himself. _For everything you and your Mad Gear have done...destroying my entire squad all those years ago...and now putting my family in the middle of danger...I will make you pay...with my own two hands!_

Chun Li's face held a resolute look. _Vega...It's time to settle the score once and for all. And...I will most certainly honor my promise to you, Cammy. This fight will be for both of us._

Ken tightened the straps on his gloves. _Hold on, my son,_ he said within himself. _Dad's coming to save you. These jokers will never harm you - or anyone else in my family - ever again._

As for Ryu, he merely tightened his trademark headband. _I feel...much more alive now than I did ten or even twenty years ago, _he realized._ Is it because of these...new feelings...running through me? Perhaps...Chun Li, I will never forget how much you mean to me. That will be a forefront of my mind, no matter who I fight. And then...just you wait, Akuma...when the day comes for us to fight again, I will be much, much stronger than you will ever imagine...and then I won't need your evil influence ever again!_

The guide then looked at them over his shoulder. "We're here."


	16. CHAPTER 14 Soldiers' Honor

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 14

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

The eight warriors stepped out of the submarine and beheld the spectacle before them. "Wow..." breathed Cammy, and Cody gave an appreciative whistle. Even Guy beheld the scene before him with wonder.

The castle grounds were spread out right before their eyes, and everything looked lush, green and perfect. The blocks used to build the castle walls looked like they'd been cut out perfectly, and the glare of the sun off of them was marvelous. Even looking up, it became apparent that everything was truly underwater, as high above them was a sort of transparent dome, above which was the entire majesty of the sea world.

"Gill certainly was busy in the last two years," said Ken.

"True," said Rose. "This is the result of work done using part technology, part sorcery."

Suddenly Cammy pointed ahead. "Look there!"

Charging at them was an army of men, bearing arms of all kinds, and screaming. "Man, we're, like, hopelessly outnumbered here!" Cody began to panic.

"Never fear," said Rose, drawing out her scarf. "I want all of you to save your chi energy for when it'll really count. For now, let me handle this."

Her scarf became charged with a neon blue light, and she flashed it toward the horde coming at the group. The energy released knocked all of the soldiers back somewhat, and some didn't get back up.

"And that wasn't even half of Gill's army, despite their numbers," Rose informed the group. "Now, let's go!"

"THAT wasn't half?" Cody asked in disbelief as they raced for the front door of the castle. It was wide open, fortunately, and soon they were all in what Rose told them was the main hall.

"All right. You know what to do from here. Soldiers will most certainly be about, so be on your guard," said Rose. "Good luck!"

Cammy, Guy and Cody nodded, and they bolted off elsewhere. Rose turned to the others. "As for us...let us go now."

They continued on a straight path, until at last they reached a large door with an iron number "1" engraved on it. "This, I believe, would be Rolento's room," announced Rose.

"Then that means I'll be fighting him," said Guile. He pushed the door open, and they all stepped inside.

Rolento's room looked more like a small military base than anything else. It was a rather wide space, with a convoy belt at one side shipping out actual tanks, rockets and whatnot. Hanging above them were hooks of different sizes and various lengths, and on the walls were posters of Rolento in a victory stance, with the German word for "victory" underneath. "Disgusting," said Chun Li, shaking her head.

"Actually, I'm quite at home here," said a voice above their heads. Looking up, they were just in time to see Rolento himself fall from a perch he'd gotten somewhere on the ceiling. He landed uniformly and leered at the group of five, cracking his knuckles.

"For your edification, I am Rolento." He grinned. "And I am one of the 'Four Horsemen' of Gill's empire." He twirled his neck, cracking his joints into shape. "Now, which one of you lucky fighters wants to take me on first? Or would you prefer I fight all of you at the same time?"

"Forget about the others, you son-of-a-bitch," Guile declared, stepping forward. "I'm your opponent."

"Ah, Colonel Guile. It's been a while," Rolento laughed.

"Yeah. Too long." Guile shook his head. "Now, Rolento, I hope you like makeovers, because after I'm done with you - especially considering what you and your Mad Gear have put me and my family through over the last couple of days - yours is a makeover you won't soon be removing."

"Oooh, I'm soooo scared!" Rolento's voice was full of mock fear. He reached behind him into his belt and pulled out his trademark baton. "Well, are you prepared to back up your words, old friend? If so, then let's FIGHT!"

With that, he charged forward, spinning his baton in one hand and using that hand as an offensive weapon. Guile jumped back, though, safely avoiding Rolento's assault. He then charged forward with one flying knee to Rolento's torso, scoring a hit and causing his opponent to double over. Guile took the opportunity to grab the other soldier and bent over backwards, slamming him into the ground.

"Good...very good," Rolento commended him as he got back up. "But now it's my turn again! Say goodbye!" He quickly snatched three knives from his boot and sent them flying at Guile. The other soldier saw them coming, but they came so fast that he was barely able to turn aside; he couldn't do anything about it as one of the blades buried itself into his right shoulder. Guile grunted in pain as he staggered back.

"Guile, no!" Chun Li started forward, but Rose held her back.

"Do not interfere," Rose warned. "As I said before, this is a matter of honor between two soldiers, and only they can settle the dispute now. Guile wouldn't allow you to interfere, anyway."

"Guile will be all right," Ryu agreed. "He's been trained for this type of combat situation, after all. He knows how to take care of himself."

Chun Li looked on at the fighters worriedly. "Yeah...I guess."

Painfully, Guile pulled the knife out of his arm. "You're at a disadvantage now, Guile," Rolento remarked, walking up to him. "You've got an injured shoulder, and you're bleeding. I have you at my mercy."

"Wrong, cretin." Guile grinned slyly.

Before Rolento could react, Guile immediately rolled forward and propelled himself upward on his left hand, sending first one boot into his opponent's gut, then the other right in the face. As Rolento reeled back, grimacing in pain and holding his now bleeding mouth, Guile jumped up and forward, planting his fist firmly into Rolento's forehead and dropping him altogether.

"All right, Guile! You got him now!" Ken cheered.

Guile seemed to tower over Rolento at that moment, as cringed as Rolento was on the ground. "Who's in control now, stupid?" Guile mocked him, slightly holding onto his injured shoulder, but possessing a certain charisma at that moment.

Rolento glared at him. "Nice shot...although this is still MY court, and now the ball's in my play!" He suddenly curled himself backward and rolled away from Guile, dropping some small balls along the way. Looking down, Guile realized, much to his horror, that what Rolento had dropped were grenades without pins, and he just barely managed to jump away in time as they exploded. The force of the blast affected the others, though, as the heat from the impact of the explosion was quite high, considering that Rolento had dropped quite a few bombs on the field. As Guile landed, though, his face became contorted with pain, and he fell forward on one knee.

"Hey, Guile! What happened!" asked Chun Li frantically.

"My...my leg," Guile whispered in agony. "The explosion must've gotten my leg!"

Indeed, his left leg from the knee down seemed to have been rather badly burned from the impact of the blast, shown from the smoldering cloth of his combat pants. Getting up, Rolento saw this and laughed.

"That's a little maneuver I like to call 'Minesweeper,'" he said, tapping his baton in the palm of his hand. "And of all the people I've used it against, you're the first one who's actually evaded its full force. However, you haven't gotten away unscathed; that's a good thing, because at least now I can finish you and take my time about it!"

Guile looked at him out of hateful eyes. "Go to hell."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Rolento said, "but I've already been there. Being a veteran from the Vietnam War was nothing like what I expected, but oh well. Anyway, that's all in the past; here's a little something from the present!" He crouched very low, then made one giant bounce backward onto the wall. He then bounced off the wall and toward Guile, slamming his baton into Guile's face and sending him crashing to the ground.

Guile gritted his teeth in fury as he barely managed to keep his face off the ground with his good hand. Rolento just walked up to him and kicked him down. "Such a weakling," he scoffed, kicking his opponent three times more. "A fool like you wouldn't last two minutes as a member of Mad Gear!"

"That's the only problem, though: I'm not a member of Mad Gear, so you can't depict what I'll be thinking!" Summoning all of his energy, Guile shot up and grabbed a surprised Rolento by the collar. Then, charging up his chi energy, he summoned three Sonic Booms and sent all of them right into his opponent's face. As Rolento staggered back, rubbing his eyes from the effect of the blinding flash of light, Guile took it a step further and summoned his even more powerful Sonic Hurricane, slashing into Rolento and throwing him back.

"All right, Guile! Go get him!" Chun Li cheered.

"Don't start celebrating just yet," Ryu warned her. "It may not look like it, but Guile just exhausted all of his chi energy in that assault. That, combined with the injuries he's already sustained, may make it harder for him to fight."

Rolento's vest was ripped up from Guile's attack, and he was bleeding from several places on his face, but he grinned wickedly. "That's more like it," he congratulated Guile. "That's how a real soldier fights. Now it's my turn once again!"

A sudden flash of metal streaked by Guile's legs, suddenly tripping him up. The next thing he knew, he was being violently hoisted upside down into the air by a steel cable, right toward one of the hooks hanging down from the ceiling. He was barely able to turn aside in time to avoid being impaled, but the hook's sharp end badly ripped into his already injured right arm, tearing the flesh. He was flung back to the ground, hitting hard. Rolento just stood there, smiling, holding one end of the steel cable.

"A damn good shame, too," he sighed as he gazed at Guile bleeding on the ground. "I was hoping to hang him up there from the hook, but oh well. I guess I'll have to take what I can get, and be satisfied. At least Mr. Gill will be proud to know I killed one of the intruders." With that he reached into his belt pouch and pulled out another of his knives, stalking forward.

_Bastard!_ Ken yelled out in his mind as he prepared to fire his Hadoken; but Rose stopped him. "Wait, Ken; it will not be necessary," she informed him.

Rolento raised his knife to stab Guile - but a crunching punch to the gut stopped him. He dropped the knife and doubled over, coughing up blood, shocked that Guile could still be alive. "B-but how - "

"I've been through much worse, Rolento," Guile informed him. "And I've lived too long to die at the hands of a piece of crap like you! Now it's time you paid for all your sins as a soldier!"

Another punch to the gut sent Rolento flying this time, Guile following close after. "This one's for the squad you destroyed fifteen years ago!" he yelled as he sent a flying kick to Rolento's face. "And this is for kidnapping my wife and daughter!" as he kicked his opponent in the groin, fairly raising him off the ground.

"Now, this I haven't forgotten about either - this is for my relatives whose lives your gang wrecked!" He sent a punishing uppercut into Rolento's face, sending blood flying from his mouth. Ken smiled a little as he heard this. _Way to go, Guile._

Rolento, screaming madly now, grabbed another knife from his belt and lunged forward, trying to stab Guile in the stomach. Guile saw it coming, though, and grabbed Rolento's wrist, twisting it and forcing him to drop his deadly weapon. Guile then raised the arm, still holding Rolento's wrist, and brought the area just above the elbow crashing down on his rising knee. Rolento screamed in agony as a loud and sharp CRACK echoed throughout the room. Guile then used his other hand to grab Rolento by the neck and bring him in close.

"And this," he finished in a terrible whisper, "is for ME."

With that said, Guile hopped back a step, then channeled all of his rage into a powerful chi attack, flipping upside down three times in succession as he performed his Somersault Justice, releasing his energy into three powerful flip kicks. Each blade of chi energy that he released sliced through Rolento with the force of a gale; the third attack launched him upward and into one of the suspended hooks, impaling him through the heart.

The others grimaced at the grisly sight; Guile just stood there, looking at Rolento with a justified expression on his face. Rolento just hung there, his now lifeless eyes gazing down at them as the chain from which he hung suspended on the hook swayed to and fro.

But now that the adrenaline rush was leaving him, Guile staggered and fell forward on one knee. "Guile! Are you OK?" Ken cried as the group now rushed forward.

"I...I'll live, at least," Guile managed a weak smile. "As I said, I've lived too long and through too much to die here. Besides...I've got a family waiting for me."

Ken smiled and patted him on the back. "That's the spirit, big guy," he said softly.

"Well, I'd say that that was a pretty equal match...with a definite winner." Rose smiled. "Can you walk, Guile? How's your leg?"

"I think I'll need a little help," Guile admitted, slinging his arm over Ken's shoulders. With that, the group exited the room and headed up the stairs to the next floor.

The trio ran a little ways before reaching a crossroads along their path. "Oh, crud; now what?" an exasperated Cammy fumed, stomping her foot. "As far as I know, we've been running for, like, forever!"

"This is pretty testing," Guy admitted. "Tell you what - Cammy, Cody, you two take that path. I'll go this way and see where it leads. Chances are, either path will lead to something big, anyway. Besides, although Rose told us to stick together, if we split up we'll be able to cover a lot more ground."

"All right, but watch your back, bro," said Cody.

"Same to you two. Good luck." With that settled, Cody and Cammy took the left-hand path, and Guy took the one on the right, none of them knowing what might be up ahead.

As Guy ran along, he took a good look at his surroundings, noting that there seemed to be no security cameras anywhere along the walls. _Come to think of it, we didn't encounter any type of high-tech security ever since we entered the castle..._

He suddenly stopped and stared ahead in disbelief.

Before him lay the broken, mangled bodies of several guards. Ahead was a large room, round in shape. Standing in the middle of it, with dead bodies strewn all around him, was a man in a black gi, with red hair. His back was turned to Guy, but as the Bushin ninja looked on, a Japanese symbol seemed to burn itself in the man's back. The symbol for heaven. Tenchu.

Guy's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the newcomer. "Akuma."


	17. CHAPTER 15 The Rematch

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 15

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

The five warriors headed up a fairly long spiral of stairs, Guile's weight resting rather heavily on Ken's shoulders. "Why'd they have to make this castle so freakin' tall?" Ken complained. "My legs are starting to get tired!"

"Patience, Ken," Rose consoled him, "we're almost there now."

By and by they arrived at a door with a similar design to the one to Rolento's room, but this one had a number "2" etched on it. "Looks like it could be my turn now, kids," Chun Li announced as she pushed the door open and walked in.

She and the others stopped short as they surveyed their surroundings. This room was really designed to look like a cage, a fighting arena with wire fencing at the sides to allow for easy climbing. "Why am I getting bad memories just looking at this place?" Guile asked.

"Funny that you should ask that, _Señor,"_ said a voice from the far corner of the cage. As the others looked on in amazement, Vega himself flipped backwards toward the group, standing on his hands at least ten feet away from them. He flipped right side up, turned and removed his mask, bowing with a flourish.

"I need no introduction, I hope? I am Vega, the Scarlet Rose of all Spain, and one of the 'Four Horsemen'!" He leered at the group with a sinister gleam in his eye. "Dearest Chun Li, I have not forgotten what you did to me all those years ago; but as you can see, my horrible, horrible scar, which YOU gave to me, has been completely healed thanks to _Señor_ Gill! And you, Rose...I am sure he will give me extra credit once I bring your treacherous head to him still hanging on my claws. I will personally drink your blood!"

"What a truly disturbed individual..." muttered Ryu.

"And YOU, _Señor,"_ returned Vega, pointing right at Ryu. "Ryu, is it? I heard that you were the one who defeated Bison all those years ago. I applaud you...but even so, I believe that an ugly man like yourself is not deserving of the title of 'strongest.' Once I finish with Chun Li, perhaps you and I could have a straight match, like gentlemen, no?"

"That is, assuming you can defeat her first," returned Ryu.

"Oh, I will," said the Spanish ninja. "And then I will defeat you, and then the title of 'strongest of all Street Fighters' will belong to me - for all eternity!" He laughed maniacally.

"Eternity? What the hell are you talking about?" Ken demanded. "Nothing lasts for eternity, you dumb-ass!"

"Poor, stupid fool," Vega responded, shaking his head in mock regret. "When I first agreed to join Gill's empire, he told me he had access to the Fountain of Youth. In truth, his 'Fountain of Youth' turned out to be his own endless source of magic, and he had me undergo several ceremonies that would eventually make me immortal. Meaning, I will never age or grow a day older than I am now! Eternal youth is mine!"

Chun Li spat to the side in disgust. "Misguided, deluded idiot. Nobody can ever be immortal...because immortality never means invincibility or invulnerability. And to prove it...as I recall, last time I merely left a mark on your face - this time I'll rip off your head altogether!" She took two steps forward and stood in a fighting stance.

Vega grinned and placed his mask back on his face, holding up both fists, the three claws gleaming bright gold on his right hand. "But can you get through my iron mask?" he demanded as he charged forward at top speed.

Much to Chun Li's shock, as soon as the two were about one foot away from each other, Vega suddenly flipped backward, kicking her in the mouth. As he landed right side up, he leaped toward the wall, bounced off and toward the opposing wall, then came down on Chun Li with the speed of a gale, his claw pointed at her chest. She managed to dodge at the last moment, but a piece of her clothes got ripped off in the process.

_What the hell!_ her mind screamed. _I knew Vega was fast, but the way he moved - all of those attacks took place in less than two seconds!_

The others saw it, too. "Vega's certainly swift," said Rose, "but...something's not right. Something about his speed just now...it just doesn't seem...natural..."

Chun Li ran up to one of the walls and ran up it, bouncing off at the very top and coming down on Vega with one boot aimed at his forehead. To the astonishment of all, however, he scuttled spider-like right under her, climbed up the wall in said fashion, then leaped at her and, grabbing her around the waist, plummeted headfirst to the floor in a suplex, slamming Chun Li and knocking the breath out of her.

"Whoa!" Ken shook his head in disbelief. "Hey, anybody got that? I could barely follow!"

"Same here," Ryu responded. "Rose, can you sense his chi? Perhaps that will tell us something or give us some sort of clue. I'm sensing something coming from him, but it seems...slightly different from what I remember..."

Rose closed her eyes and concentrated. "Hmmm...I can sense his chi, but - something is clouding it," she reported. "It seems to be - hey, he WAS speaking the truth! I can sense a bit of Gill's energy inside of him...I suppose his bit about Gill using magic on him wasn't all false after all. Even so, there's still something about his movements that just doesn't ring right..."

Back on the battlefield, Chun Li repeatedly tried to attack Vega, but he proved to be much too swift for her to land a hit successfully. Then, as she sent one punch flying in, he caught it with his left hand. "Got you!" He pulled his claw back and stabbed her through the shoulder. As Chun Li screamed in agony and the others, particularly Ryu, watched on in horror, Vega then lifted his arm up, throwing Chun Li up into the air. Coming back down, she saw his claws pointing straight up at her as he laughed wickedly.

_C'mon, Chun, do something quick, or else he's gonna gut you!_ she told herself furiously. Trying to think of a way out of her predicament, she realized that she only had one chance...she pulled her hands back at the very last second and...

"KIKOKEN!"

"What?" was all Vega could utter as Chun Li fired a massive blast of chi energy down on him, slamming into his chest and forcing him back, just in time as she fell to the ground. He slowly got up, removing his mask to show a look of disbelief. "B...but what was that?" he whispered.

"It's what we call a 'last-ditch effort', Vega," said Chun Li, holding her bleeding shoulder. "And hey...it looks like my blast did more than just knock you down..." Smiling weakly, she pointed at his chest. Looking down, Vega was horrified to see the skin of his chest blasted away.

"His...his chest...there's a hole in his..." Ryu couldn't say anything else, he was in such shock.

All this time Guile hadn't uttered a word as he watched the battle. Now, as he stared at Vega's chest, he noticed what seemed like small sparks of electricity coursing across the man's injury. "Oh...my...God..." he croaked. "He...he's got...he's got CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS!"

"WHAT?" Chun Li stared from Vega to Guile and back again. "Cybernetic implants? Vega, what did they do to you!"

Vega relaxed his stance a little. "It is true," he said quietly. "After I agreed to join Gill's cause, he introduced me to some of the best doctors in his employ. Besides doing the reconstructive work that restored my face, they were also able to introduce these implants into my body, to increase my strength and agility. Of course, at first I was a little apprehensive, but once I saw how much they could increase my fighting ability, I had no more complaints. As I continued to train my skills, my body soon became used to my greater speed and reflexes. And ever since then, I have been training for one purpose - to destroy YOU and your pretty face, Chun Li!"

Chun Li gave him a grim look. "Well...your wait is over, you sick psycho. Come get me."

Shrieking madly now, Vega hopped backward onto the wall, then came down on Chun Li at a horizontal angle, his claw pointed at her. Drawing on her strength, she jumped just above him, stomping on his head and forcing him to the ground. Then, reaching down and sending an uppercut that jerked him upright, she punched him solidly in the chest, her hits coming in fast and hard. Stumbling back, Vega tried to grab his balance; but she wasn't about to let him. Flying in and screaming her battle cry, she kicked at him repeatedly, her kicks coming in as fast as lightning, and hitting him solidly in his injured chest. Flipping upside down onto her hands, she then split her legs and began to spin madly, kicking him repeatedly once again.

Chun Li's furious assault threw Vega back, and he grinned beneath his mask. "Aah, yes...just like twelve years ago," he hissed. "That's exactly how I remember the fight! Now, come on, my pretty _señorita_...let us finish this now!"

Chun Li slowly raised her bloodstained hand. "By my own blood, Vega," she whispered, "I swear...I will put you out of your misery. Forever."

As he watched the two fighters, Ken noticed something. "What the hell...? Their energy is - it seems to be growing!"

"And so it is," said Rose thoughtfully. "And from the looks on their faces...so, it is true. Both Chun Li and Vega are merely reliving the battle that took place all those years ago. Nothing we can say to them now can break them out of this self-imposed trance until the fight is over."

The two warriors, now oblivious to everything and everyone else around them, just stood in their battle poses, staring each other down for what seemed like an eternity. Then, much to Chun Li's amazement, Vega slowly removed his mask, letting it drop to the floor altogether.

"Just what are you doing, Vega?" she demanded.

Without replying, he slowly raised his claws to one of his cheeks. To the astonishment of all, he silently and slowly dragged the length of the claws across his face, leaving a three-mark trail that dripped blood. "I don't want to unnecessarily cripple myself on the basis of protecting my beauty," he declared. "I can always have the surgeons heal this scar that I've placed upon myself. For now, at least...I can truly fight at my full potential."

Chun Li smiled. "That's right. That's the way of a true warrior."

"But, hold on - now that means Vega won't have ANY weaknesses that she can exploit!" exclaimed Ken.

"That is true," said Rose. "But it is also true that this way, Vega will not need to hold back on anything for the sake of protecting vain beauty. Now, the real fight begins."

And so it did.

Vega hopped backward a step, then started to roll forward with extreme agility. Chun Li jumped back, then flipped upside down so she was standing on her hands. Expecting her to perform her trademark Spinning Bird Kick, Vega instead got a shocker as she flipped one foot down onto his head, then the other, knocking him flat. He quickly bounced back up, though, and rolled at her again, this time moving at breakneck speed as he slashed at her. Chun Li got ripped all over her torso, grunting in pain. Eight slashes later, she managed to parry the rest of the assault and jump back, almost collapsing as she did.

"Chun Li, no!" Ryu cried.

"I'm all right." Her reassuring voice carried through to him. "I am the strongest woman in the world, after all. What kind of a fighter would I be if I didn't live up to that reputation?"

As she spoke, though, she became vaguely aware of a small trickle of blood flowing from her cheek. Regarding it with some surprise, she looked across at Vega and smiled. "Well done. Now we're even for the scar I gave you twelve years ago."

"Even though yours will soon heal to the point that it will seem as if it had never been there...but it doesn't matter now. Knowing that both our faces are scarred..." Vega smiled back at her, really smiled for the first time. "Shall we finish this, _mi señorita hermosa?"_

"Let's."

With that Vega jumped onto one of the walls and began to scale the fence, climbing all the way to the top. Chun Li merely regarded him as he climbed. At the very top he let go and dived headfirst toward her, claw outstretched. And still she didn't even flinch.

And then it happened.

At almost the last second Chun Li flipped upside down and charged upward, kicking repeatedly as she used her Tenshokyaku attack. Vega got kicked three times in the chest, but before he could be knocked out of the air, Chun Li grabbed him and followed up the attack with several more kicks, her leg now moving like a blur as Vega got it repeatedly all over his body. She then grabbed him and held him close so their eyes were on an equal level. "Coincidentally," she said, "I promised Cammy White I'd give you a good attack for her sake. Well, here it comes!"

Finally, gathering all of her remaining chi energy, Chun Li formed it into her palms and yelled "KIKOSHO!" as a large bubble of energy formed in her hands and blasted through Vega, totally obliterating his chest and sending him falling to the floor. Chun Li then landed to the floor and regarded Vega's now lifeless body. On his face, right next to the self-inflicted scar, was a smile - not the smile of a maddened criminal, but that of a true nobleman.

"Finally," she murmured as she bowed respectfully to him, "you got your honor back, even though it had to be through death."

As she said this, everything started to go hazy around her. The last thing she heard was her teammates calling out to her before she passed out, exhausted and battle-torn.

"Hmmm...It seems that Rolento and Vega have both been killed by now."

Gill, seated on his throne, smirked. "But this minor setback will not harm our plans in any way. Rather, those fools are playing right into my hand. Already two of their members have been critically injured, and three are still wandering in the catacombs of the castle. That leaves three to dispose of."

Urien, however, looked rather worried. "Gill, haven't you felt it? There is a presence in this castle, a being whose power is so strong it could disrupt our plans..."

_"SILENCE!"_ Gill exploded, waving a hand in agitation. "Do you not think I know about it? I know that there is another presence here, and of his power!" He calmed down. "Still...he has another agenda. I just know it. He just may actually be doing our work for us even as we speak."

"Doing our work?"

"Yes. At this very moment he is preparing to do battle with one of the meddlers. The other two who are wandering around will soon have the cruelest surprise of their lives, and they don't even see it coming."

He shook his head. "Now, Urien, go to your station and await the Street Fighters."

"Yes, SIR." And with that, Urien exited, to prepare for his own upcoming battle.


	18. CHAPTER 16 ThreeWay Battle

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 16

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Without even turning to face him, Akuma grinned slyly. "Ah, yes...I remember you. You are the student of Bushin Ninjitsu, yes? How wonderful that you and I should meet here."

"Why are you here, Akuma?" Guy demanded.

"A legitimate reason, really," said Akuma. "While I was training in the Japanese mountains, I suddenly felt an immense fighting power here in the Mediterranean. I was able to find this castle after some searching, but...these fools here were just no match for me." He indicated the bodies on the floor. "But the power that drew me here...I believe that whoever is wielding it may be at the very top of this place."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you can't see him," said Guy. "There are others who are already on their way to stop him, and their reason for doing so is so that the Earth may be kept safe from his ravages. You, on the other hand, only seek him to increase your own strength."

Now Akuma slowly turned to face him. "Increase my own strength?" he asked. "Really, now, ninja, why would I need to increase my strength any more than it's already gone? Were I to fight you at my full strength at this very moment, THEN you would know the meaning of real power!"

"Be that as it may, I cannot allow you to continue any further," said Guy, and he stood in his traditional battle pose. "Come on, Akuma! I'll send you back to the place you came from!"

"Try me." Akuma suddenly split into several shadowy images as he went into his Teleport, moving quickly around Guy. The ninja kept a sharp lookout, though, and suddenly turned in a full roundhouse that caught Akuma smack in the kisser and knocked him back. Guy quickly seized the advantage, running up and delivering a series of punches and kicks to the demon's gut. He finished by flipping backward, kicking Akuma twice in the chest and face as he flipped away.

"Impressive," said Akuma, smirking as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "So that is the power of the Bushin school!"

"That was only a sample, Akuma," Guy waved a hand dismissively.

"Humph. How arrogant of you." Akuma stood in the pose to throw a Hadoken, and began gathering chi energy accordingly. Quickly Guy ran up the wall and darted toward his opponent in a flying kick, but was astonished when Akuma suddenly directed the blast of chi upward. The ninja crossed his arms to block in the nick of time, and smarted as he felt the fireball burning the hair on his arms.

"Neat trick," he commented as he landed again.

"Believe me, I have not even begun to fight." Akuma then stomped the ground, and much to Guy's surprise, the ground itself seemed to quiver. Partially thrown off-balance, Guy was barely able to block against Akuma's oncoming onslaught, but he got a surprise when Akuma suddenly dropped low and kicked his feet out from under him. As Guy fell, Akuma partly jumped back up and sent a kick to the ninja's midsection, sending him rolling across the floor.

Jumping back up, Guy immediately started to spin, rising up off the ground as his left leg flashed out three times. Caught off-guard, Akuma took the kicks to the face and was sent sprawling. Guy then slid along the ground, kicking Akuma one more time as he landed. "Now you're finished, Akuma!" Guy declared.

Akuma smiled. "Truly your skill is impressive, ninja," he admitted, "but now it's time I stopped holding back on my power! Now take THIS!"

Charging up the evil energy inside him, Akuma sent a mighty, fiery blast at Guy. The ninja was able to easily jump over it, but suddenly gagged as he felt the full impact of Akuma's Shoryuken in his gut, then in his chest, then on his face as the attack hit three times in succession. Akuma then grabbed him and fired two Hadoken blasts from both of his hands. The blasts slammed into Guy's chest and he fell to the ground. Getting up groggily, Guy got kicked three times in the face as Akuma performed his Tatsumaki Zankukyaku, his version of the Hurricane Kick.

Guy slowly got to his feet. His face was now all bloody from the onslaught, and his breathing was coming in shallow gasps. He was sure that Akuma's Hadoken blasts must have broken something inside him - perhaps one of his ribs had been forced inward and had punctured a lung. It certainly felt that way, as he was now coughing up blood. But with a mighty effort he managed to stay on his feet. Fainting would do him no good now.

Across the floor from him, Akuma was calmly wiping blood off his own mouth. "I am amazed that my attack just now didn't kill you outright," he remarked. "Oh, well. I suppose there's only one thing I can do now." At once a black aura surrounded his entire body, and his eyes glowed a dangerous yellow as he hovered toward Guy. The injured fighter at once realized what this was. The Shun Goku Satsu! _If he catches me with that, I'm finished!_

In desperation, Guy summoned up what was left of his strength and gathered chi energy into his palm, releasing it at Akuma in the Bushin Fire Blast. To his surprise, Akuma was knocked out of his attack and was thrown backward, his gi jacket on fire. But Guy stumbled forward on one knee; the attack had taken a very big toll on his body, as injured as it already was. Nonetheless, he pressed the attack even further, running forward and delivering two consecutive punches to the demon's face. Akuma merely backhanded him, though, and Guy stumbled to the floor, barely having the strength to stay up. "I'll...never...lose...to you!" he swore between his teeth.

Akuma shook his head as he straightened his gi. "Unfortunately, Guy, you have already lost. Now say goodbye." Again the black aura surrounded him, and he started floating toward Guy to finish the Shun Goku Satsu.

As Guy watched him, a thought crossed his mind. _I...I can't lose yet...not while Rose is still waiting for me! She's counting on me - on all of us! I can't fail! I WON'T FAIL!_

"YAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

Almost on top of Guy, Akuma was shocked. "What! Where's his energy coming from -" but he was cut off as Guy shot several powerful punches into his midsection, completely cutting off the Shun Goku Satsu. Guy then pulled his palm back and channeled his chi straight into Akuma's face in the form of a ball of fire. Akuma was thrown backward, knocked completely unconscious.

Guy stood there on wobbly legs, smiling weakly. "That...was the power of the Bushin style's...ultimate technique," he whispered. "The...Bushin Musourenka." At this point the pain in his body overwhelmed him, and he fell face first to the floor, unconscious.

"This corridor just keeps going on forever, doesn't it?" Cody groaned.

"Will you shut up already!" Cammy snapped. "Just listening to your whining makes this even longer, for heaven's sake!"

The two were walking down a very long passage that had barely any light in it. Along the sides of the corridors were what appeared to be doors, and so far the duo had already checked fourteen of them, but came up with nothing except empty boxes. "So, just what are we supposed to be looking for, anyway?" asked Cody.

"Anything that can provide us with some clues - whether it be a special cargo shipment just brought in, or anything like that." Cammy suddenly halted and leaned to one side. "Hey. Do you hear something strange?"

Cody stopped and listened. Sure enough, from behind one door there seemed to be some conversation going on. "How much longer do we have?" they heard someone ask.

"Well, we have already drained some energy from these two fighters," someone else replied. "And all the fights that the enforcers for Master Gill's empire have indulged in have resulted in more energy being collected. It seems that the hold Master Gill had on each fighter was for a good cause after all."

"I still don't understand," said the first person. "What about the crystals that Master Gill had our troops locate? What role are they to play?"

"Imbecile. These crystals are to house the energy that has been collected from the fighters. Some of the crystals will be used to power Master Gill's chariot to the States; the rest will be used to give the Master himself even more power. With the force of chi energy that he will have at his disposal, nobody will be able to stand in his way."

"And these two?"

"They will obey orders. Since Master Gill had his influence placed upon them, they have become two of his most loyal enforcers."

Cammy trembled and turned toward Cody. "Hey," she whispered. "Rose told me that two fighters from Gill's tournament had been captured and possibly brainwashed. Maybe the fighters in there are the ones she was talking about!"

"Only one way to find out," said Cody. "Let's drop in on 'em, shall we?"

They both reached back and kicked the door in with all their might. The two men inside started, then backed away in terror. "Intruders! Intruders!" they shouted. As they did, two figures emerged from the shadows. One was a tall, hulking man with blond hair; the other was a young woman dressed in brown ninja attire. Cammy recognized the blond man.

"Hey, I know him!" she exclaimed. "That's Alex, a member of the U.S. Special Forces that coincides with MI-6! From what I'd heard, he had disappeared some months ago and nobody could find him! But - who's the other person?"

"I can answer that," said Cody. "That's Ibuki, a member of Guy's sister ninja clan. I've only met her once before, but she's a damn good fighter! Be on your guard!" He hesitated. "I...I don't want to fight her."

"Okay, fine then - I'll handle her! You take Alex!" said Cammy. Ibuki and Alex attacked almost instantly as she said that, and the fight was on.

Cody dodged Alex's rushing punch, then sent a crushing knee to the big man's stomach. But somehow Alex didn't seem affected! "What the -" was all Cody could manage as Alex grabbed him by the throat, jumped up and forward, then slammed him headfirst into the floor, pushing the entire weight of his upper body on top of the smaller man. Gasping for air, Cody managed to send his knee into Alex's crotch, lifting him up just enough so he could throw him off. Alex flew and hit the wall solidly, but jumped back up almost immediately. His hand began to charge with yellow energy, and he flung his hand forward in a cross-chop at Cody, who was just getting back up. Cody saw it coming and ducked in time, then stepped forward and kicked upward, hitting Alex in the chest and chin consecutively. Finally, Cody delivered an uppercut that created a miniature tornado, hitting Alex some more and knocking him back.

Ibuki was all over Cammy, jumping all over the room and throwing knives at her. Cammy dodged several knives, then turned upside down and flew upward with one leg extended in her Thrust Kick attack. It hit Ibuki squarely in the chest, knocking her down; Cammy pressed the attack further and stomped down on Ibuki's stomach as they landed, practically knocking the wind out of her. Ibuki managed to roll back, however, and instantly came back at the other woman with a flurry of kicks that Cammy was barely able to block, they came so fast. "How're you holding up, Cody?" Cammy called.

"Not too good - ungh!" Cody grunted as he felt Alex's clothesline hit him straight in the chest, knocking him down. As Alex closed in for the kill, though, Cody drew his legs back, then forced them upward in one powerful kick to the groin. As Alex winced and bent over, Cody went into his patented Dead End Irony attack, delivering several powerful roundhouse kicks before lifting his opponent into the air with the force of his attack. Cody then flipped over and sent a powerful kick to Alex's chest, sending him falling down with a crash. As this happened, Cody noticed something - a gem on Alex's chest, now broken and falling apart.

"Hey, Cammy, I just realized something!" he shouted to her. "They're being controlled by gems on their chests! Smash the gems and we may be able to free them!"

"I'm on it!" Cammy replied. She turned and delivered a backhand to Ibuki's face, then followed it up with her Cannon Drill, spinning feet-first and knocking the ninja off-balance. But much to Cammy's surprise, Ibuki back-flipped and then came right back with two straight punches to the chest. Cammy took the full impact and was knocked back, roughly hitting the wall in the process. As she stood there, stunned, Ibuki came rushing at her and sent a punch right at her face. Cammy dodged aside, though, and Ibuki's fist plowed right through the wall. Cammy took the opportunity to send a nerve-shattering punch to Ibuki's midsection; as she did, she could feel something like glass cracking under the impact of her blow. Ibuki gasped, then fell limp on Cammy's shoulder.

The two men, standing aside, looked at each other. "Not good!" they exclaimed with one voice, and ran out of the room, Cammy started to chase them, but Cody held her back.

"Let them go," he said. "They're of no consequence. As for now, let's help these two."

Cammy nodded reluctantly and lifted Ibuki onto a nearby table, while Cody did likewise with Alex, but with much more difficulty. "I only hope they'll be all right," Cammy fretted.

Chun Li slowly opened her eyes. "Uhhh...where am I...?"

As her vision came into focus, she could see her teammates smiling down at her. "Welcome back to the world of the living," said Ken.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." She gingerly sat up, conscious of the throbbing ache in her shoulder. "Well, did I - did I win?"

"Sure you did," said Ryu. "And you did very well, too." He held his hand out to her, and she took it. He raised her up. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"I know I am," said Guile. "Two down, two to go, right?"

"True," said Rose. "We must hurry, now. If we are to stop them, time is of the essence."

Moving at a moderate pace, the group went up the stairs nearby, taking each step with care because of Guile and Chun Li's injuries. After a few minutes of stairs - what they felt was nearly half an hour - they came upon a door with the number "3" on it.

"This one's mine," Ken announced.

"Before you open that door, Ken," warned Rose, "be sure you know what you'll be getting into. Urien is a very tricky person, as you already know."

"I know." He nodded solemnly. "Urien's waiting behind that door, hoping to get revenge for the defeat I dealt him. Well, if he wants a rematch, he'll have it." And with that said, the group prepared to open the door behind which their enemy was waiting.


	19. CHAPTER 17 Flaming Fist vs Iron Body

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 17

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

Pushing the door open, the group entered the room - but they were not prepared for what greeted their eyes. The room was one wide-open space, but right in the center was a set of tiles that served as, presumably, the arena. All around it was a pool of something that smelled very disturbing.

"I know that smell," said Guile. "It's - acid!"

"Sheeeeeeesh," Ken grumbled. "If this is really Urien's room, he must mean business."

"Right you are, Mr. Masters," said a voice. Turning, the group saw Urien descending down a separate flight of stairs, clad only in white briefs, his muscle-toned body exposing every bit of muscle in him. "Except for the tiling near the walls and doorway, and in the middle of the room, all around us is one giant pool of acid. Anyone who falls into that gets instant death. Makes for a more interesting fight, wouldn't you agree?"

"I think it just proves how much of a psycho you are," answered Ken.

"A psycho? I beg to differ, Mr. Masters," said Urien as he made his way to the center of the room. "As you should already know, I am a man who has a reputation for being a creative genius. This entire room was my design, you see. Anyone who fights me in here never survives, for they are always killed either by the acid or my own hand." His eyes narrowed. "Of course, you are the only person who has ever fought me and escaped. But this time I will be most thorough!"

He reached behind him and pulled out a remote control, pushing a button. A moment later a small cage descended on three chains. Trapped inside was Mel!

"Dad!" he shrieked. "Get me outta here!"

Ken looked up, alarmed. "Mel! Are you all right!" he cried.

"I'm OK, but I'm scared!"

"As well he should be," Urien chuckled. "Take a good look, Mr. Masters. As you can see, your son's cage is directly over the acid pool, at an angle where he can watch while I beat the crap out of you." He turned and threw the control near the foot of the stairs behind him. "Now, sir, you and I will fight right here; winner gets that remote. AND - if any of your little friends there try to make a move for it, I'll personally knock the cage down, and your brat with it!"

Ken growled low in his throat. Then he sighed. "All right. If you want to fight, then we'll fight." He then turned to the others. "Guys, whatever you do, don't try to get the remote or save Mel. I'll do it myself, all right?"

"Of course," Rose nodded her understanding. "Just go over there and knock his brains out."

Ken then looked up at Mel. "Don't you worry son. Just hang tight - I'll get you down from there in a little while. For now -" he grinned. "- just sit back and enjoy the show!"

With that said, Ken strolled up the ramp to the small arena where Urien was waiting. "Now, shall we begin?" he asked, standing in his old fighting stance.

Urien chuckled and went into a fighting stance himself. "Very well, then. Let's begin."

Ken thought to himself, _Urien is strictly an offensive fighter, that much I remember from our battle two years ago. So if I want to win, I'll have to take up the offensive first this time and hit him hard and fast. All right - here I go!_

He charged forward with a punch to the stomach, which was blocked, then he went in for a backhand. Urien easily ducked that attack and countered with a solid punch to the ribs, one that had Ken doubling over in pain. Urien then stooped slightly and charged upward with one knee, flying into the air and taking Ken with him. Ken flew back and hit the ground hard.

"Daddy, no!" cried Mel.

Ken got up, wiping blood from his mouth. "I'm all right, don't worry," he said, but he himself knew it wasn't true the moment he tried to move. For as he took a step forward, much to his surprise he fell forward, catching himself with both hands.

Urien laughed. "Ah, my attack must've paralyzed your legs," he noted. "All the better. Now you won't be able to escape me!" He walked up to Ken and started kicking him. Ken did his best to block the kicks, but a few got through and gave him some nasty bruises on his face.

"That dishonorable bastard!" Guile exclaimed from the sidelines.

"It's all right," Rose replied. "Ken isn't out of this one just yet."

Urien yelled as he charged energy into his hands, then released it in his powerful Metallic Sphere projectile. At the very last moment, however, Ken jumped back up and shot a Hadoken blast forward, canceling Urien's attack. The flash of light that followed slightly blinded Urien's eyes for a moment; when he opened them again, Ken was on top of him, hammering punches into his face. Ken then jumped right into his Hurricane Kick, knocking Urien about repeatedly. On the fourth blow, Ken arced his kick and sent it downward, hitting Urien in the back of the head and flooring him. Ken then picked him up and threw him to one side.

Urien got up slowly, shaking his head to clear it. "Nice," he said. "You actually used the canceling of our energies to your advantage, and caught me off-guard. But I guarantee you, it will not happen again."

Ken kicked his legs out to tone the muscles. "Sorry about taking so long to get back on my feet, guys," he said to the group at large, "but now the fight's really begun."

Yelling again, Urien ran forward, fists glowing. Ken prepared to block, but to his surprise Urien fell then quickly slid forward, kicking his legs out from under him. As Ken was falling, Urien shot up and planted a solid heel into his stomach, raking upward as he did. Ken got two hits in this one attack, the second one to his chest, knocking him back again.

"Hey, Ken, watch out!" cried Chun Li.

Looking behind him, Ken saw that he was about to fall right into the acid pool. He braced himself, then just as he was at the edge of the arena he took one small bounce and used that spring to deliver a powerful kick to the edge, giving him enough of a jumping boost to get safely back in the center of the arena. "Whew!"

Urien, too, was quite surprised. "Impressive, Mr. Masters," he commended him, "that was very good. At least now I can have more time to give you a good beating."

Ken rolled his arm around in circles. "Not a chance."

"Oh, no!" Urien stood in his fighting stance again. "Well, come on!"

Ken just stood his ground. Since being on the offensive didn't work against Urien, being on the defensive was the only thing that could work now. "Why don't YOU come and get ME this time?" he taunted.

Urien smirked. "Very well, if you insist." He took a few steps forward, then charged forward, punching rapidly. Ken blocked, dodged and parried the attacks. When Urien threw one punch forward, Ken dodged it and moved in for a hit - but Urien suddenly ducked down and rammed his head upward into Ken's chest, lifting him high into the air. Urien then followed it up with two punches to the face, a rising knee that juggled Ken even higher, and a downward arc kick that sent him flying straight to the ground below. To finish up, Urien summoned a giant ball of lightning in his hands, then let it go once he was close enough to the ground and therefore close enough to his opponent. There was a blinding flash of light and a loud explosion.

"Oh my God! Ken!" Ryu yelled.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Mel cried out, shielding his eyes from the light.

As soon as the glare subsided, Urien's silhouetted frame could be seen in the smoke. Nearby, Ken was painfully standing up, his entire torso scorched. "Hmmm...You're the first person who's survived my Jupiter Thunder at close range," Urien said thoughtfully. "And yet, you haven't escaped unscathed. Too bad...it's just as I said before. How humiliating it must be for you to have your child watch while you take the beating of your life."

Ken said nothing, but just looked at him out of eyes blazing with rage. Nearby, Ryu beckoned to the others. "Do you feel that?" he asked.

"I know I do," replied Chun Li.

"Urien's attack was very powerful," said Rose. "Normally, power would've gone down from the force of the attack. But, for some reason Ken's chi force is growing in strength..."

"I think I know why," said Guile. "He's fighting, not for himself, but for the safety of someone he loves and wants to protect. Right now, Ken will do anything to save Mel..."

Indeed, as they looked at Ken, it seemed as if flames were coating his entire body. Then, finally, he raised his head and looked directly at Urien, and for the first time, looking back at his badly injured foe, the other fighter suddenly felt a sense of fear. "Urien...you and your pals made a grave mistake by attacking my family," Ken spoke in a voice that told of a thousand Furies embodied in one. "You amplified your stupidity by putting my son's life in danger!"

Screaming wildly, Urien charged up all of his remaining energy and fired it off in his ultimate attack, the Aegis Reflector. "DIE!" he yelled. But Ken merely regarded the sheet of energy coming at him, then suddenly let out a massive battle cry. As he did, his chi exploded all around him in one giant flame, and seeing this, Urien now felt really scared. _What the hell's going on!_ his mind raged. _I felt no chi energy at all after my last attack - so where in the world is his energy coming from!_

Ken's fist became engulfed in flame, and his battle cry became even louder as he performed his Shinryuken, spinning as he did the attack and completely obliterating the Aegis Reflector. As he landed, he remarked, "Have you forgotten, Urien? That attack is pretty good at dealing damage - but it's really only to be used to reflect fireball attacks. If you could've forgotten the purpose for one of your own techniques, then you're really a poor fighter. I see now why Gill looks down upon you."

Urien's eyebrow twitched, and something inside him snapped. "Shut up! SHUT UP!" he shouted as he charged forward, his arm drawn back to punch Ken. The karate master merely swerved aside, however, and Urien's attack missed completely. Urien quickly drew his arms back to attack Ken again, and he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks in blind rage. As he sent one foot flying at Ken's head, though, the other fighter blocked and then grabbed his ankle, then raised one elbow and smashed it on the bone. Urien howled in agony as he felt his lower leg bone snap, and he limped very painfully, all the while giving Ken a very evil look.

"You call yourself the 'Iron Body'...all for nothing," Ken continued.

Mad with fury, Urien charged up every last bit of energy from within, then fired it all off in one massive Jupiter Thunder blast. Ken jumped over the blast, fortunately, and landed right in front of Urien. "You've been unleashing attacks on me - well, now it's MY TURN!" he yelled.

With that Ken went into a Shoryuken that connected three times and set Urien ablaze. While airborne, Ken grabbed his enemy and rolled to the ground, tossing Urien to one side. Urien hit the ground hard and a few minutes later he stood up, dazed and in pain. Without missing a beat, Ken turned and fired a massive Hadoken blast at him, and this time Urien didn't have the strength to summon another chi attack to cancel it out. It hit him square in the chest and pushed him further back. Ken ran up to him and, summoning even more energy, prepared to perform his ultimate attack - the Shoryu Reppa.

"This is for my wife!" Ken yelled as the first Shoryuken hit Urien. "For my son!" as the second hit. "And this is for destroying two years of a peaceful existence for me!" he screamed out as he intensified the strength of the third and final Shoryuken, hitting Urien three times. On the third blow, Urien's head was thrown back as his whole body flew out of the arena...and into the acid pool. As his body hit the surface and his flesh was quickly eaten away, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Ken's attack had already killed him.

Ken watched silently as Urien's lifeless body was eaten away by the acid. Then, without a word, he walked off the platform and went over to the staircase, where the remote control was still lying. Picking it up, he pushed a few buttons on it, and a few moments later Mel's cage was guided to the center of the platform and safely lowered to the ground. The other Street Fighters, in a heartbeat, rushed up and opened the cage, freeing the child.

"Daddy! Are you OK?" Mel exclaimed worriedly, running up and throwing his arms around his father's neck. Ken smiled slightly and gently embraced his son.

"Everything will be all right now, my son. Everything'll be OK."

Ryu and Guile walked up to them. "Ken...that was very impressive," Guile said softly. "Well done."

Ryu nodded. "Indeed," he said. To himself he added, _Ken fights to protect the ones he loves...and when those loved ones are put in danger and he has to fight for them, that is when he is at his strongest...finally I truly understand._

Gill sat in his throne room, his face bearing a grim expression. "So...all of the Horsemen have failed now," he mused. "And only I am left."

He was still thinking these thoughts as a servant ran into the throne room. "Forgive me, Emperor...but the vehicle is ready to depart. All you need to do now is give the order."

Gill looked at the servant, and immediately new thoughts crossed his mind. _So...those fools honestly think that they'll be able to cross me any longer? Well, they'll have another think coming very, VERY soon. For it will be now that my conquest begins!_

He spoke to the servant. "Have the crystals been aligned correctly?"

"Yes, Sire. Everything is in readiness, just as you ordered."

Gill stood up, straight and tall. "Then all that is left is to crush the fools who dared to enter my domain. Now, have all the soldiers outside come back into the castle right away. And prepare my wardrobe - I'll need to look my best for when we arrive at the United States."

"Understood, Sire." The servant exited the room, leaving Gill to himself again.

As he sat back down, Gill's thoughts raced once again. _Now, then...Rose, you did very well to bring your friends here to face me. But treachery is something that I can never forgive, especially when it comes from someone as close to me as you were. You will be the first to pay for your insolence. And YOU, Ryu...the time has come for me to exact my revenge for the shame and disgrace you dealt me two years ago. Back then, you and your friends were able to thwart my plans to rule the U.S. and the entire world...but today all of that will be corrected and erased. Today, my vengeance will be swift, merciless and sure. Today...THERE WILL BE A RECKONING!_


	20. CHAPTER 18 The Fate of a Beauty

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 18

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

The small group continued up the flight of stairs leading away from Urien's room, Mel doing a piggyback ride on Ryu's back. "Three down and only one more to go!" Chun Li chirped happily in singsong.

"Well, let's not get too overconfident now," cautioned Rose. "There may only be one left, but Gill is by far the strongest of the four. Add to that the fact that three of us are injured from the last three fights, and the odds are somewhat against us..."

"Don't worry, Rose," said Guile. "Even if we ARE injured, we'll still fight if we need to! We're not going to let Gill destroy this whole world for his own purposes!"

"That's right," Ken put in. "There is too much in this world that is beautiful and innocent for us to allow some madman to destroy it all." He patted Mel on the head.

Suddenly the entire castle began to shake, and the warriors nearly lost their footing. "W-what's going on?" Mel quavered.

"An earthquake?" Chun Li asked.

"No way, it couldn't be," said Rose. "We have to hurry now!" With that, the five began to run up the staircase as best they could without falling. Then, as they passed by a window, Chun Li looked out.

"Guys, look at this!" she called to them.

Crowding around the window, the others couldn't believe what they were seeing. "The whole castle's moving!" Ken exclaimed in surprise. "And it's - FLOATING!"

As the group watched in shocked surprise, the castle was slowly rising out of the ocean, water pouring off it in the process. Then, the castle itself began to soar across the sea, heading for America.

"Gill must've been planning to move the whole castle to the United States!" Guile said. "We gotta stop him NOW!"

"Right!" said Ryu. "Let's go!"

"Bloody hell! The whole place is shaking!" Cammy exclaimed, trying in vain to keep steady footing.

Cody looked around wildly. "Hey - what if Gill was using the WHOLE castle as his 'chariot' to leave this place?" he asked. "I know it sounds far-fetched, but how else can you explain this continuous shaking?"

"In that case, we're screwed," said Cammy.

At that moment both Alex and Ibuki, still lying on the table, stirred and groaned. "Uhhh...where am I? What...what happened?" Ibuki asked groggily.

"Hey, take it easy," said Cody, rushing to her side in an instant. "You guys were brainwashed by Gill, but you'll be all right. But now he's moving the whole castle!"

"WHAT!" Alex was fully awake now. "Oh, crap - now I remember everything! We have to stop him now!"

"Don't worry about that," said Cammy. "Some friends of ours are already on their way to meet Gill. Probably they'll be fighting him right about now."

Suddenly the _tramp tramp tramp_ of marching feet could be heard in the hallway. "Well, right now let's worry about saving our own asses!" Cody yelled as the soldiers broke into the room.

Guy's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Ow ow owwww..." he grunted as he forced himself to get up. _Akuma...where's he?_ He looked around, but could find no trace of the demon's body. _Probably left already,_ he mused. As he did, however, he suddenly became aware of the castle shaking rather violently.

_What's going on!_ his mind raged. _Well, never mind about that - first I have to retrace my steps and find Cody and Cammy! Chances are, they may need my help!_ With that, he got up and ran back along the path he'd come. Arriving at the spot where they'd split up, he chose the second path and started running at top speed. _I just pray I'm not too late to help...no telling how long I was out for..._

As the group of five ran down a wide corridor toward a flight of stairs just a few feet away, the violent shaking subsided somewhat, but there was still a bit of vibrating all around them. "Just a little further and we'll see Gill!" said Rose.

Coming closer to the stairs, suddenly the group halted in their tracks. There, just before them, were several soldiers with all sorts of weapons drawn. "Do not let the infidels get to Emperor Gill!" one of them shouted.

"Oh, great...Gill's cavalry comes to save his ass," Guile fumed.

"Not to worry," said Rose. "Ryu, follow close behind me. The rest of you, you must now fight on your own! Are you up for it?"

"Certainly! Just get to Gill and kick his hide - that's all I'm asking!" said Ken.

"Ryu," said Chun Li. "Please...come back alive..."

Ryu looked into her face and he could see the worry etched there. He smiled and touched her shoulder. "Only if you'll promise to survive this onslaught," he said.

Chun Li smiled a little. "Sure."

"Good luck!" Ryu turned and ran after Rose, who was already rushing her way through the large body of soldiers with her energy-powered scarf. Together, making their way past the guards quickly, the duo dashed up the stairs.

"Forget about those two - Lord Gill will dispatch them quickly!" said one soldier. "Attack these other three!" The rest of the group cheered the decision.

Ken turned to Mel, speaking very seriously. "Son," he said, "things are about to get a little dangerous now, but I promise I won't let any of these guys near you. In no time, we'll soon be going home, and until then, I'll make sure to protect you. OK?"

Mel nodded. "Go get 'em, Dad," he whispered as he stepped back.

Thus reassured, Ken turned to face the soldiers with Guile and Chun Li. "You guys ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Chun Li, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "And you, Colonel?"

"I'm only glad that now I can really KICK ASS!" Guile roared as he charged at the soldiers, knocking a few of them down in his first assault. Ken and Chun Li followed suit, fighting with the soldiers while Mel stood back and watched with admiration and wonder.

_"Cannon Drill!"_ Cammy yelled as she plowed feet-first through an entire line of soldiers. "How're you folks holding up?" she called to Alex.

"Never better!" Alex shouted back, slamming two soldiers' heads together. "At least I can finally get some revenge on these guys for messing around with my head!"

"Same here!" Ibuki replied as she jumped up to the ceiling and flung several daggers at a group of soldiers who'd been hoping to box her in a corner. Landing, she jumped and kicked two soldiers in their chests at the same time, then delivered a backhand to one standing on her right.

"Man, I love this!" Cody cried, delivering some solid uppercuts to his share of the soldiers. Back-flipping over a table to avoid a flashing sword, he kicked the underside of the table and toppled it into the line of soldiers coming at him, making them fall helplessly back on their own comrades.

But almost immediately even more soldiers emerged. "Man, this bites!" Alex growled. "How can all of us fight them in such a cramped space?"

"We'll just have to do the best we can, love!" Cammy answered, standing in her fighting stance once again. "Let's do this!"

With that Cody reached low, then came up with an uppercut that created a tornado, knocking away several of the new soldiers. Alex plowed through a whole bunch of them, roaring in his fury as he clotheslined several of the men at once, then turned and delivered a powerful chop reinforced with his chi at one behind him. Meanwhile, Ibuki delivered a whirling kick to one soldier who tried to brain her with a club; she then kicked him in the gut, sending him flying back into his fellow guards.

One of the men yelled out and took a swing at Cammy with a large broadsword; she merely blocked it with her gauntlets and, raising her knee to her chest, delivered a powerful torso kick that sent the man flying, slamming heavily into the wall. She then turned, took a step forward, then let her chi-powered fist head into another guard's face. Turning and ducking in time to avoid another soldier's wildly flailing fist, she jumped forward, wrapped her legs around his waist, then flipped upside down and slammed him into the ground.

But as soon as that wave of enemies was dealt with, even more poured in. "Okay, NOW I'm getting pissed!" Cammy shrieked.

"Well, nothing more to do but fight!" Cody prepared to fight the men once again.

Suddenly a blast of fiery energy shot out from one end of the outside corridor, incinerating several of the remaining guards. Then, to Cody and Cammy's joy, Guy emerged, looking very battle-worn, but not ready to give up. "Sorry I took so long, but I was preoccupied elsewhere." He then looked at the group. "Ibuki?"

"Guy, is that you? Oh, how happy I am to see you!" Ibuki exclaimed. "But we'll have to save the pleasantries - and introductions - for later! Right now we've got a whole wave of enemies to clear out of here!"

"Understood!" Guy nodded his agreement. "Well, come on, guys! There's a wide-open space where all of us can fight without feeling claustrophobic! This way!" He turned and ran out of the room, and the other four ran after him.

"A friend of yours, Ibuki?" asked Alex as they ran.

"Yep," she answered. "His clan and mine go a long way back."

By and by they arrived at the foot of the stairs that led to Rolento's room. As soon as they got there, a whole army of soldiers appeared, both at the top of the stairs and from other corridors nearby.

"Well, we'll have quite a fight to get to the top, won't we?" asked Cody.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we get there eventually," said Guy. "Now, guys, let's do this!" And with that, the five friends prepared for a fierce bullying battle with the numerous soldiers around them.

Rose and Ryu were almost at the top of the stairs. "Just a little further now," said Rose. "Soon, we'll face Gill!"

"That's good - it's time to settle the score," said Ryu. "He has to be stopped now, while the going's still good."

Finally they reached the top of the stairs. Before them was a much shorter flight of steps, with a door just beyond. Rose turned to look at Ryu. "Now, Ryu," she said softly, "just beyond that door is Gill's throne room; that's where he'll most certainly be. Are you sure you're ready to do this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Rose," he assured her. "Are you?"

She nodded and smiled her consent. "Well, shall we go? Gill awaits us," she said.

The pair ascended the steps and pushed the door open, stepping into the throne room. Inside, the walls were covered in what appeared to be gemstones, or crystals, that coursed with seeming chi energy. And there, at the far end of the room with his back turned to them, was Gill. From what they could see, unlike in times past, he was now clad in dark military pants and knee-high boots; only his upper body remained bare, exposing his half-red, half-blue skin. "So...Rose, you've arrived," he said softly, slowly turning to face them.

Rose took a step forward. "Gill...Father...there's still time. You can stop this before it gets out of hand," she said quietly.

He looked at her levelly. "I will not give up my right to be the ruler of this world, Rose. For far too long I have waited for this day...and now that it is here, I will not allow anyone else to interfere."

Ryu looked at Rose in surprise. _Why is she suddenly trying to reason with him now?_

"Father, please reconsider!" Rose begged him. "It's not too late! Please stop this now! I...I don't want to see you die like this. Even though you have done many people great wrong, including myself...you're still my father!"

Gill's look became grim. "Rose...I'm only going to offer you one final chance to accept my forgiveness and rule this world by my side," he said. "If you refuse, then..."

Rose looked down at the ground, hot tears filling her eyes. Then she looked up at him, this time with defiance. "Go to hell, you bastard."

"You have made your decision...so be it."

Suddenly, very much without warning, Gill fired a large, powerful beam of combined fire and ice from both hands, and it slammed into Rose. She tried to block, but the combined force of the elements was too much for her, and she screamed as it consumed her, causing her to fly into the wall, hard.

"Rose, NO!" Ryu yelled, running toward her limp form. He cradled her head in his lap. "Please, Rose! Don't die! You can't die now - not after we made it this far!"

She looked up at him, smiling rather weakly. "Ryu...don't be sad," she whispered. "At least, I can die...knowing I was doing the right thing for sure... but...please...be careful..."

"I know, Rose...he's a powerful opponent..."

"Not just that," she wheezed. "The crystals in this room...they seem to be channeling energy to both this castle and to Gill - that must be why the castle's flying. And Gill...he's absorbing energy from the crystals to give himself even more power." She smiled slightly. "But...I'm not worried about you...because I know in my heart that you can defeat him...just do me one favor..." Her eyes began to close. "...please...tell Guy...tell him I'm sorry..."

And with those words, Rose was dead.

Ryu closed his eyes, pained at the concept of having just lost a comrade. Tenderly he laid Rose's lifeless body down on the cold granite floor, taking great care to lay her head on the most comfortable tile available. He then slowly stood up and looked straight at Gill, who just looked back at him. "Gill...you're going to pay for that..."


	21. CHAPTER 19 Ryu vs Gill, Part 1

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 19

GILL'S CASTLE, FLYING OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

"Are you truly going to fight on Rose's behalf? Such sentimentality...and such idiocy," Gill chuckled.

"How...how could you, Gill? She was your DAUGHTER!" Ryu snapped.

"It was her decision to remain disloyal to me, warrior...and she suffered the consequences for it," said Gill. "Of course, I cannot expect you to understand, what with your foolish notions of justice. But no matter now - once I rule this world, none of that will matter anymore. You saw what I did with Vega, did you not? I can do the same with Rose, and bring her back to life if I choose. Then, she will serve only me. And that can also be done with any Street Fighter, for that matter."

"You won't get that chance! Not one more soul will suffer because of you!" Ryu yelled, standing in his fighting stance. "Now, you're going to pay for everything you've done! Rolento, Vega and Urien have been defeated...now you're the only one left!"

Gill smirked. "Try me."

Ryu ran forward, uttering a fierce battle scream. At the same time, Gill did likewise, roaring in defiance. Upon reaching each other, they both began to throw a volley of punches and kicks at each other. They blocked and dodged each other's attacks, but neither of the two was actually hitting the other - yet. Their attacks soon became so fast, that to the casual observer's eye, all that would have been seen would be short flashes of movement.

At length they jumped away from each other. The two warriors then dived at each other again, jumping all about the room at blinding speed for several minutes. As each dodged away from the other, each delivered missed punches and kicks that fairly left impressions in the walls and floor. Finally they came straight at each other, connecting to each other with a punch to the face that sent both men flying back.

Gill got up, rubbing his bruised cheek, and smiled. "Well done, Ryu," he said. "You have certainly gotten better since the last time we fought, two years ago. But now the true fight begins!"

With that he began to charge up his left arm, the red arm, with fiery energy. Forming it into a ball, he then hurled it at Ryu, who ducked aside. Gill quickly formed a ball of ice in his right arm, the blue arm, and hurled it at his foe. This time, Ryu countered it with a Hadoken blast that practically sent ice splinters flying everywhere. But he was not prepared for when Gill immediately charged forward and delivered a rising uppercut with his left fist, hitting him right in the gut. As Ryu doubled over from the impact of the blow, a sudden blast of fiery chi sent him flying even further back, his gi jacket ablaze. Upon realizing this, he quickly tore it off and flung it aside as it continued to burn.

Gill laughed. "That's the power of my Cyber Lariat!" he announced. "Two hits for the price of one - and the second unleashes my chi directly into my foes!"

Ryu rubbed the areas on his torso where he'd gotten scorched. "That was very clever, catching me off-guard with that attack," he remarked. "But you won't be able to do it again!"

He jumped high into the air, almost touching the ceiling, then came down spinning in his Hurricane Kick. To his horror, Gill just squatted for a second, then came charging up at him headfirst, hitting him in the leg hard. Ryu grunted in pain as he fell to the floor, while Gill landed neatly and ran a hand through his locks.

"Aerial attacks won't work on me, warrior!" said Gill. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to hit me!"

Ryu got up gingerly, looking at Gill out of hateful eyes. Summoning his energy once again, he concentrated it all into his hands and held onto it for a moment. "DENJIN HADOKEN!" he yelled as he released the massive fireball at Gill. _Please let it be enough...please let it be enough..._

To Ryu's surprise, Gill jumped clear over the immense fireball, then came homing in on him with an outstretched knee. Unprepared, Ryu took the knee straight in the face, knocking him back. Gill then kicked at Ryu's torso repeatedly, still airborne; finally, landing on one foot, he did a series of roundhouse kicks that ended with a massive thrust-kick to the chest, knocking Ryu even farther back and causing him to topple over.

Ryu attempted an uppercut, but Gill merely caught his fist in his own right hand, using his chi to call upon freezing energy to numb Ryu's hand. As Ryu grimaced in pain, Gill then charged up fiery energy in his left fist and ice energy in his right, and rained blow after blow down on him. On the final blow, Gill came forward with a nasty uppercut that hit Ryu in the chest – HARD – and sent him flying back a little ways.

Ryu gagged and held his chest, spitting blood. Gill, standing over him, laughed out loud. "Can this truly be the Ryu who halted my plans two years ago? I barely recognize you now. Truly you have become even more pitiful than I realized. Now, come and meet your end - it awaits you."

With that, Gill jumped back a few feet, then immediately began to charge energy in both his hands. Cupping them together, he charged up even more energy as the ball of pure chi in his hands began to grow. As Ryu slowly stood up, dazed, Gill's energy ball began to materialize into fire mixed with ice particles. He then lifted both hands to heaven, and in that instant the roof above them exploded as he fired his energy blast upward.

"Now! Witness the beginning of your destruction!" yelled Gill.

Still holding both hands to heaven, he charged them with energy once again. As Ryu involuntarily looked up, he saw several small hailstones of red and blue, several miles into the sky but closing in fast. Immediately the warrior realized what this attack was. The Meteor Storm, Gill's ultimate attack.

_Oh, man...looks like this could be it...I've barely the strength to stand right now, and I don't think I've got the energy to dodge or counter that attack...and I can't block it, either..._ He closed his eyes, awaiting the attack. _This is it...I'm finished..._

**"Why do you just stand there, waiting for death?"**

Ryu's eyes opened wide at the sound of a new, and strangely familiar, aged voice speaking to him. "Wha ? Could it be...?" He looked up before him, and saw an elderly man in a karate gi similar to his own, except the sleeves were intact. The man had a beard and no hair on his head, and his eyes were filled with a deep sense of concern. "Master Gouken!"

**"Concentrate, Ryu-san,"** Gouken's voice had a certain quality to it. **"You made a promise to the girl, did you not, that you would survive this battle? And now you're going to break that promise? That is not how I trained you!"**

"But, Sensei...I don't have anything left. I don't even have the strength to fight back..."

In front of him, Gill could see Ryu seemingly talking to himself. "What? Have you been so frightened that you've gone mad!"

Ryu paid no attention to him, but to the figure immediately in front of him as the older man addressed him again. **"All is not lost, Ryu-san,"** said Gouken. **"There are still many techniques in the Ansatsuken Karate school that you have not yet unlocked within yourself..."**

"But, Sensei, those techniques are used by Akuma! If I use them now, I will only be submitting to Satsui no Hado! I don't want to end up like that!" Ryu exclaimed.

**"Ryu-san...I asked you and Ken-san to answer three questions a long time ago. 'What is the meaning of the fight? What is the meaning of victory? What is the purpose of the warrior's fist?' And, like the dedicated student you are, you have been on an endless journey to find the answers for yourself. Well, now is the time to stop wandering. Once you acknowledge the answers in your own soul...only then will you be fully able to unlock your true potential."** Gouken's image began to fade.

"No, Sensei, wait! Don't leave me alone again!" Ryu cried, reaching out for his old mentor, but in vain.

**"Ryu...there is something else you should know,"** Gouken's voice reached him. **"When my own master created the Shun Goku Satsu, he secretly created a technique that would be a counter-measure to the deadly power he'd created. Once you find the answer to those three questions within yourself, you will be able to unlock this and other secrets that will unleash your true potential."** And with that, the old Ansatsuken master was gone.

Gill was not impressed. "Humph. You really have gone mad...talking to yourself, indeed. Well, no matter - I'll just send you to your final resting place! Now DIE!" With that, he brought his hands back, then pulled them downward, releasing the massive energy of his Meteor Storm attack upon Ryu.

As Ryu watched the massive meteors coming at him fast, time seemed to freeze in his mind. _What is the meaning of the fight? What is the meaning of victory? What is the purpose of the warrior's fist?_ The three questions hammered in the back of his mind. Then, like clockwork, all of the pieces slowly started falling together.

_What is the meaning of the fight?_

An image of the last couple of battles in his life flashed through his mind. _Why do people fight?_ Images of rivals he'd had in times past flashed past his eyes. Sagat...M. Bison...Ken...Chun Li...Akuma. Some of those he'd faced fought for power, others for glory, and some fought for honor. But the image from the last fight stayed clear in his mind - that of Ken fighting Urien to save Mel. _Why should we fight? Why should an Ansatsuken student fight?_

As he thought about all of this, the answer became clear. _To protect others...to protect the innocent...and not to fight for any selfish reasons...to always have friends and loved ones in mind when I fight...all this time I have never once thought about fighting to protect others, even though on several occasions I have ended up doing so because it was necessary...now I understand that it should not be a necessity, but a choice...a choice one should be happy to make..._

And with this, the answer to the second question became clear. _True victory is achieved only when one has defeated all selfish notions in oneself in order to fight for others. Once that concept is etched into your mind, the battle is won even before it has begun._

And now Ryu suddenly felt a burst of power rising from within him as he discovered the answers to these two questions. And with that power came new knowledge.

As the balls of flame and ice were almost close enough to hit him, Ryu suddenly seemed to disappear. Gill, able to see ahead through the blinding force of his attack, was shocked. "What! Where'd he go!" he cried out in bewilderment. He watched as the attack exploded into the wall and floor, scattering stone fragments everywhere. He then peered into the smoke for any sign of a body, but saw nothing. "What just happened? Were my eyes deceiving me?"

He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he received a full-fledged punch to the face. Reeling in surprise and pain, Gill then got a second punch, this one to the gut. Bending over, he had no time to react as Ryu jumped into the air and unleashed two massive fireballs upon him, one from each hand, and he took the full force of both blows, knocking him down to the floor. Then, as Ryu landed, he quickly performed the Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, spinning rapidly in one spot while turning with the speed and force of a tornado. Gill got sucked into the vortex and got kicked in the face repeatedly; finally, as he stood there, swaying with dizziness, Ryu sent another punch to the gut, even more powerful than the first, then finished immediately with a Shoryuken that knocked Gill to the other side of the room, sending him into the wall with a crash.

Gill got up, his face all bloody. "What...the hell...just happened!" he asked in bewilderment.

Ryu fixed the position of his headband on his forehead correctly. "Just now, Gill," he said quietly, "as I faced death by your onslaught, I finally understood something my master taught me many years ago. He taught me that to fight for the sake of others is not a burden, it's a blessing. Of course, I never fully understood it until just now, when I suddenly remembered why my comrades were fighting. For honor. For family. And for love."

"..." Stunned, but still listening.

"By fully understanding those reasons for fighting," Ryu went on, "I became even more aware of my own fight against the evil energy present within me for the last twenty years. I realized that by fighting for the sake of those I care about, the chances of me surrendering to the evil inside me became less and less. Thus, I was able to unlock two new techniques. The Ashura Senkuu, with which I was able to safely teleport out of the way of your Meteor Storm, and the Arashi Hadoken, or Storm Surge Fireball, the aerial attack I pulled on you just now. I merely used them in combination with my Super Hurricane Kick and my Shin Shoryuken, the move that defeated you two years ago." Ryu looked levelly at Gill. "Face it, monster: your days of terror are now over."

Gill chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, but my good man, I beg to differ. You see, there are still a few things I have yet to show you." With that, to Ryu's surprise, he began to levitate. "I have learned much in the last two years," he went on, as his body glowed with a mysterious purple aura, "and I have integrated my energies into one sharp focus, pushing myself to the limit!" A sharp blast of purple light suddenly emanated from Gill, so sharp that Ryu had to cover his eyes; when it subsided, Gill was back on the ground, completely rejuvenated!

"Surely you remember my Resurrection technique?" Gill asked. "As you can see for yourself, warrior, I have restored my body to full health, and now I'm really going to fight. And another thing..." Purple energy seemed to suddenly emanate from his entire body, and Ryu could feel Gill's power level growing stronger and stronger. _No - this isn't happening!_

"What I gave you just now was only a sample of my power," said Gill, in a voice as cold as the grave. "And what I gave you two years ago wasn't even one quarter of my full strength. But now...now that I have seen your true potential...mark my words, I will NOT be holding back on my power any longer. As of this moment, you will see me at full strength...you will witness true power at its finest...and I will have my revenge for the disgrace you dished out to me so long ago...now, prepare to kiss your ass goodbye!"

Howling, Gill raised his hands to the sky, and immediately the entire room exploded with the force of his chi. Looking around, Ryu realized - _He wasn't kidding about showing me his true potential...so this is the true strength of the man called Gill!_

"Whew...that's the last of them, thank God," said Cammy.

"Yeah," said Ibuki, holding on tightly to two bloodstained daggers. All around the five warriors lay the scattered bodies of unconscious or dead soldiers. The five were standing straggling-like, back-to-back.

"Well...at least now we can take a rest or something..." Guy paused suddenly, cocking his head to one side. "Hey. Do you guys sense that?"

"Sense what?" asked Cody. "Hey, wait - I can feel it! A very powerful, evil energy coming from above us..."

"And at the same time another energy source, battling the evil energy," Alex confirmed.

"I'd know that evil energy anywhere," said Ibuki. "It belongs to that maniac, Gill. And that other energy...it belongs to that Japanese wanderer guy..."

"Ryu's fighting Gill! Come on, we gotta go see this!" Alex sprinted off, and the others hurried to catch up with him.

"Spinning Bird Kick!" Chun Li turned upside down and split her legs, spinning like a top as she kicked out at the enemies. Then, as she righted herself again - "Hey! Do you guys feel that?"

Ken kicked a soldier away, then looked up. "Yeah - that energy, so powerful and so evil...it must be Gill!"

"Oh, crap!" Guile spat. "With all these guys swarming around us, by the time we're finished with them we'll be too worn out to help Ryu!"

"Well, Guile, worn-out hands are better than none at all," said Ken.

"You boys can do whatever you want - I'M not stopping anytime soon," said Chun Li. "Not while Ryu's in danger and needs our help! I'll do whatever I can to assist him in battle, even if it's not much!" With that she turned and delivered a powerful uppercut to one soldier's chest, the force of the blow sending him flying into his comrades.

"Well, I know what I'm going to do!" said Ken, and with a flourish he snatched Mel up and hoisted him on his back. "Hang on, son! We're going roughhouse jogging!" and with that he barreled through some of the remaining soldiers and sped up the stairs nearby.

"Hey, no fair! Wait for us!" Chun Li and Guile knocked away some of the opposition and turned to run after their teammate, hoping to catch up before it became too late to help or save Ryu.


	22. CHAPTER 20 Ryu vs Gill, Part 2

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 20

GILL'S CASTLE, FLYING OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

Gill was now slightly hovering three inches off the ground, his body swirling with white and orange streaks of lightning and covered in a gold aura. On his back were what appeared to be wings, wings that were materialized from his chi energy. "This is the real me, Ryu...the Gill you never got to fight two years ago," he sneered at his opponent. "I suppose Rose told you that I trained both her and that fool Bison how to use Psycho Power. Well, here is the source of that power. I am the one who created it originally, and unlike Bison, I can control vast amounts of it at a time! It was this Psycho Power that kept us alive for centuries, ever since the birth of Christ! And it is this Psycho Power that will allow me to destroy you today!"

Ryu growled and remained in his fighting stance. "Not today, Gill."

"Oh, no? Well, allow me to change your mind!"

With that Gill broke into several shadowy images of himself that started to swirl around the room at high speed. Trying to stay focused, Ryu kept his eyes on one of the images, waiting until it was just within jumping range. Then, at precisely the right moment, he squatted to give himself momentum, then shot upward with one leg shooting up in an arc. To his amazement, though, he didn't hit anything at all. _What in the...? I thought that would've been the real Gill!_

Landing, Ryu spun around and looked about him wildly as the images of Gill kept circling the room, laughing at him all the while. Then, quite suddenly, he felt a sudden burst of chi right behind him, but as he turned to face his opponent, he was not prepared for what happened next. Gill was coming at him, flying in headfirst in a drilling motion that, in one moment of deja vu, resembled Bison's old Psycho Crusher technique. Having not expected Gill to know that move, Ryu got hit square in the chest by both of Gill's oncoming fists, sending him flying and crashing into the ground. He grimaced at the power of both fire and ice elements used together in that one attack.

Gill landed and his chi flashed around him. He regarded Ryu, crumpled on the ground. "Humph...I'm surprised that you are still alive after taking the full force of my attack. Oh, well...this just means more time to torture you to death, but I can go along with that. There's still plenty of time before my official takeover of the United States, anyway."

"But...it isn't possible...how can you know the Psycho Crusher?" Ryu asked painfully.

Gill laughed loudly. "Me, know that pathetic move?" he asked. "That was merely a copy of my technique that Bison mastered before leaving my syndicate. I, as I said before, was the one who taught him the basis for the techniques; all he did was improvise on them by himself and claim that they were his own. But I hold the power to do the forefather to the Psycho Crusher, the one truly most powerful of all my techniques...the Armageddon Fist!"

Ryu got up, very slowly. Almost as he was fully upright, suddenly Gill was behind and above him, and came down on top of him headfirst, grabbing the tendons in his neck tightly. As Ryu involuntarily spewed up blood from the action, Gill flipped forward, his back to his enemy, and flung the hapless victim over his shoulders all the way to the other side of the room. Before Ryu could even land, Gill was on top of him again, stomping in his back and knocking him down to the ground. Ryu finally came to a stop near the wall; Gill immediately began a barrage of fire and ice balls, hurling them with lightning speed at his opponent. "Die die DIIIIIEEEE!" he screamed as he hurled his chi energy at Ryu.

As he felt the cold hailstones and blazing balls of flame raining down on him, Ryu could rapidly feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. _He's...he's just...too...powerful..._

_Snap out of it!_ a voice inside his head seemed to say. _Gill may be powerful, but you can still win! All you have to do is answer the final question Master Gouken left for you, and you've got it in the bag!_

"But...how can I?" he questioned himself, weakly.

_Try! At least get up and try!_

Struggling with some difficulty, Ryu staggered to his feet. Nearby, Gill had his arms crossed, shaking his head. "I didn't think you'd survive my attack there," he said. "Oh, well, just means even more time than before to beat you into submission. Although, if you knew what was good for you, you'd stay down like a good boy and admit your defeat."

Ryu slowly steadied himself, his arms straight by his sides. "Do your worst, Gill...but I'm not just going to lie down and die like a dog. I've more pride than that."

With that Ryu charged forward once again, but just as he was almost close enough to Gill, the other fighter suddenly stretched his arms and legs until his body was in the shape of an X, and he unleashed a powerful blast of energy from his wings that fairly knocked Ryu back. As Ryu tried to get up, he was bombarded by another attack of the same nature, as Gill's wings emitted another powerful burst of chi that knocked him down and away once again. Even so, Ryu slowly, and rather painfully, struggled to get up.

"You never give up, do you...? Well, fine. I'll honor your death wish...not that it'll mean anything to me, anyway." With that said, Gill charged up fire and ice energies in his respective hands and strengthened them almost instantaneously, preparing to fire them. As he did this, his wings glowed once more, signaling the full force of his attack.

Ryu looked at Gill as he prepared to fire off his chi. _So, then, I have experienced Gill's true might...I have fought as hard as I could, and I have no regrets..._

And then, like a bolt of lightning, that still, small voice in his head spoke to him again. _Haven't you? Take a good look again, Ryu...look at Gill, REALLY look at him, and what do you see?_

Shaking his head, slightly, Ryu looked at Gill again...and then he finally saw it.

Images flashed through his mind in that one instant. Images of events from the present and the distant past. In his mind's eye Ryu saw so many things: a mad dictator destroying life in a Mexican Indian village land; several young children being subjected to cruel tests in a laboratory; men and women being murdered while the killers laughed without remorse or pity; a young Chinese girl losing her father to the hands of a crazed warlord; an American soldier thrown into turmoil after his best friend's death at the hands of a criminal mastermind. Then he saw images of Bison misusing and abusing his powers while laughing about it; Rose using her powers in a desperate bid to stop Bison; Ken, Chun Li, Guile and others desperately fighting to protect their countries and their loved ones from the influence of evil; Gill cruelly raising children from birth to be members of his organization, snatching them from their true parents to do so; Gill with blood on his hands and a smile on his face. Finally, he saw Sagat, the giant scar on his chest, assuring him of a rematch at any time; a dying Rose, begging Ryu to deliver an important message to the man she loved; Ken's determined face, ready to fight to save his son; and finally Chun Li, holding her hand out to him with an innocent look on her face. _Please, Ryu, come back to us...fulfill your promises..._

At that moment the realization finally hit him. The answer to the third and final of Master Gouken's questions was just within his grasp.

_What is the purpose of the warrior's fist?_

Ryu slowly held out his clenched fist. _The fist of the warrior...the warrior's fist can only do so much and no more...the warrior's fist can only fight, no matter the reason..._ He then slowly opened his fist and outstretched his palm. _But when you open that fist...the possibilities become endless...there are so many things you are able to accomplish in this world that don't need the fist of the warrior to find the answers to pressing questions..._

His eyebrows knitted, and his eyes narrowed. _And yet...there are so many who will never have the chance to learn of this truth...and so many who will be denied that opportunity should Gill and others like him continue to win against all that is good, noble and true. Will I allow that to happen? Will I die so that evil can have a free hand to do as it pleases with the world, to abuse it as it sees fit to do? Will I die and not keep the promises I have made...to my friends and my rivals...and to the ones I love?_

In front of him, Gill's facial expression changed from one of superior confidence, to one of confused surprise, to one of fear-filled shock. Slowly, the energy in his hands dissipated, and he lowered his arms. "But...I don't understand...where is this energy coming from? It can't all be coming from...!"

Ryu slowly clenched his fists, his teeth clenched in rage. "No...I...will...not..." he said in a terrible whisper.

At that moment all the other Street Fighters finally reached the door, and all of them stopped short. "Whoa...do you feel that?" Ken asked softly. "That energy...it's, like, so powerful..."

"Yeah," Cody whispered. "Not like anything I've ever felt before..."

Chun Li just looked at the two fighters. "Ryu...?"

The air around them began to become distorted, as flashes of electric blue coursed around Ryu. "No...I will not..." he said, louder now, and his voice becoming even more threatening. "I will not," he repeated, in an even stronger voice as the energy began to flash much larger and more brightly.

Gill just stood there, staring at him in a dumbfounded manner, as did the other Street Fighters. _What's going on? What's happening to him?_ was the question on everyone's mind.

At that moment, pure blue energy coursed around Ryu's fists, and his hair and bandana edges began to rise upward with the force of the chi consuming him. The energy flashing violently all around his body became even more intense in volume, even striking the walls and ceiling, knocking out chunks of granite in the process. Now the others were starting to feel really scared.

Suddenly Ryu threw his head back, his fists tightly clenched and elbows facing inward at his sides. "I - WILL - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTT!" he screamed as the full force of the mysterious energy completely flared up around him, covering his body in blue flame. The intensity of the flashes of energy was so much so that everyone had to cover their faces to avoid being blinded. After what seemed like forever, the group at large finally got the courage to look...and all were astonished.

Ryu's entire body was covered in a blue aura, with white flashes of electricity coursing about him. His hair had changed color, from dark brown to bluish-white. Even his eyes, usually brown, were now glowing yellow. On his face, usually so calm and serene, there was now a grimly determined look. Then, without turning his head or even taking his eyes off Gill, he spoke directly to Guy.

"Guy...Rose is over there, by the wall. Take her and the others and get as far from this room as you can. Now." There was no hostility in his voice, but there was a quiet edge that made disobeying him seem a very unwise thing to do at that moment. Quietly, Guy walked over to Rose's still form and gently picked her up in his arms.

Chun Li, still quite scared, slowly reached out. "Ryu..."

"I'll be down in a moment. Just go for now, Chun. Please." Again, the quiet edge. "And Guy...Rose said to tell you...she's sorry."

Guy looked at him for a moment, then nodded silently, understanding. With that, the warriors turned and, without a word, walked out of the room. As she exited the room, Chun Li suddenly realized, _He - he called me Chun...just Chun...was that a way of showing affection...?_ She shook her head. _Never mind...I'll just ask him, when he comes out..._

Ryu waited until the last of his friends was out of the room. All this time he had not even moved a little. "Now, then, Gill," he said softly. "Time for me...to destroy you."

Gill's hands trembled a little, in rage. "W-what...? You're threatening me...? Are you actually THREATENING me, boy?" He rushed up to punch Ryu - and his punch was caught with one hand. "WHAT!"

"Just now, when you were about to kill me," Ryu said, "I looked inside myself and finally understood one thing: It is people like you that dirty our world with your greedy ambition. Well, guess what? I'm going to put an end to one of those dirty people here and now."

"How DARE you!" Gill tried to punch him with his other hand; Ryu merely caught it with his free palm.

"I'm not done yet," the warrior went on. "I looked inside myself, and I saw images I'd rather not see again - images of suffering and torture, all of which owes its origin to you. Well, that's when I finally realized that my destiny here is to destroy everything you are. And that...is what I'll do here and now. Of course, first I'm going to break both you and your techniques." He released Gill and jumped back.

Gill scrutinized him with some disbelief. His mind screamed, _This...isn't...possible...just moments ago I was giving him the beating of his life, and yet now...it's almost as if he was at full strength - no, he IS at full strength!_ His eyes widened in horror as the realization sank in. _He's finally done it! He's finally reached the limits of his potential - and he could even break THOSE barriers!_ His eyes narrowed. _No...I will NOT be scared away from MY destiny by some over-lucky kid! I'll destroy him here and now!_

With that thought, Gill quickly charged fiery energy in his left hand, then hurled it at Ryu. Ryu quickly countered with a Hadoken blast that completely nullified Gill's attack; then, quite suddenly, he rushed up to his opponent. Shocked at the speed at which Ryu approached him, Gill had absolutely no time to block or counter as the karate master delivered a punishing Shoryuken to his midsection, sending him flying. As Gill landed, Ryu performed the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, kicking him three times in midair and knocking him further back. "That's only a start, Gill," he announced as he landed. "In a little bit, the final round will begin. At that time, we'll both be fighting at our absolute best, and that's when I will make you pay for every human life you've made suffer, directly or indirectly."

Gill slowly got up, shaking his head and wiping his mouth clean of the blood that stained his face. Ryu just cracked his neck from side to side. "What're you waiting for, Gill? Hurry up and use your Resurrection technique - I want to be able to fight you at my best, when you're fighting at your best. Wouldn't you say that that is only fair?"

The blue-and-red dictator looked at his Japanese opponent. Slowly a grin showed on his face. "Always the honorable one, eh...? Very well, then." He closed his eyes and placed his hands together, and a moment later the same purple light from before surrounded him. When it subsided, he was fully healed.

"Now...let us begin, eh, Ryu? I am ready, whenever you are."

Ryu nodded. "So be it."

Near the front entrance to the castle, Guy gently laid Rose's body against the stone column supporting the archway to the entrance. _Oh, poor Rose...once again, you've died...but this time, it'll be permanent...nobody will ever disturb your body again. I only regret that now we won't be spending time together in this life..._

Not very far away, Chun Li was just standing at the foot of the stairs. "He's changed...so drastically," she said. "What's going to happen now?"

"I think I know what has happened," said Ken, quietly. He was sitting to one side, holding Mel in his arms. Mel, exhausted by everything he'd been through and all that had happened, had fallen asleep. "All his life Ryu's been dedicated to finding the path to becoming a true warrior," Ken continued. "Now, I think he's found that path."

"Then...why'd he order us away? Couldn't we have helped?" protested Cody.

"At this point...I think offering our help would have been pointless," said Guile. "We would've only been in his way, I guess. That's why he didn't want us around."

"Well, all we can really do now is wait and hope," said Alex. "True, Ryu's just demonstrated some awesome power, but at the same time Gill's no weakling. You all saw him back in there - he had this sort of strange aura around his body. I do not think that's a good sign for the rest of this battle."

All this time Cammy and Ibuki hadn't said anything, but had merely sat listening to the others converse. Now they got up in one motion and walked over to Chun Li. "Are you all right, love? You seem shaken up," said Cammy, gently laying a hand on Chun Li's shoulder.

"I...I'm okay," answered Chun Li. "I'm...I'm just praying that Ryu makes it out of this battle alive...after all, he made a promise to me..."

"Yeah," said Ibuki, smiling. "And knowing him, he doesn't break his promises, now does he?"

Chun Li looked at the other two, and she nodded slowly. "Yes...you're right...Ryu would never break his promises..." She looked up at the staircase, a glimmer of hope on her face. "He'll beat Gill and come down soon...I just know it...I believe in him..."

"That's right...we all do," said Ken, coming over and putting a hand on Chun Li's shoulder. "And when this whole thing is over, we'll all go home. Together. Every single one of us here."

Guy looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. _At least almost all of us will get to go home...but Rose has already made it there..._


	23. CHAPTER 21 Ryu vs Gill, Part 3

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 21

GILL'S CASTLE, FLYING OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

With a simultaneous battle yell, and with energies flaring, Ryu and Gill charged each other, punching and kicking at each other with newfound ferocity and speed. Chi lined their attacks, and neither showed any sign of relenting. Then, quite suddenly, Gill double-feinted, sending a solid left hook to Ryu's face. At the same time, Ryu connected with a foot-thrust to the chest; and both fighters knocked each other back, landing violently on the ground.

Jumping back up, Gill fired off two projectiles - his Pyro-Kinesis, then his Cryo-Kinesis - in one attack. Ryu quickly countered by delivering a Hadoken to nullify one, then ducking to avoid the other. Gill quickly rushed in to attack, but Ryu blocked the oncoming axe-kick, then swiftly went down and kicked Gill's other leg out from under him, forcing him to the ground again.

"Is that all you've got, Gill?" Ryu taunted him.

Snarling in rage, Gill charged forward with a rising uppercut, leading with his left fist, icy energy following the length of his arm. Ryu quickly charged up some of his energy into his hands, and he blocked Gill's attack, quickly coming up with an elbow that knocked his opponent off-balance. Ryu came back, following it up with a three-punch combo that was followed by a spinning backhand. As Gill took the full force of the attack, Ryu squatted, then shot upward with his leg, kicking Gill in the chest and face and raising him off the ground.

Gill quickly flipped right side up, coming back with an aerial combo of two punches and a spinning kick. Ryu blocked the first two attacks, but he took the kick in the side, felling him to the floor.

"Now how about that!" Gill yelled as he landed a few feet away from Ryu.

Ryu got up, brushing his hands off. "Very impressive so far," he said. "Took me a little while, but I think I'm getting used to the speed at which I'm fighting. Now, I'm truly ready."

Gill looked at him with some disbelief. "Ready...?"

Ryu taunted him, giving him the come-here signal with one hand. "Let's go."

Gritting his teeth, Gill charged forward, attacking Ryu with the speed of a gale. However, he noticed something after a moment: Ryu was just blocking and parrying his attacks. "Come on, you little !" he yelled.

"Are you that desperate for action, Gill?" asked Ryu as he dodged Gill's punches. "Okay."

He suddenly leaned forward slightly, then sent a crushing punch to Gill's midsection. The other fighter gasped in shock as he felt his insides overturned, and as he staggered back, holding his middle, he spewed up blood. "No...way..." he choked.

"Is the feeling really that hard to understand?" asked Ryu, crossing his arms. "That is how all of your defeated foes in the past felt when you beat them - they couldn't believe their own loss, either. In your case, I'm just allowing you to feel the humiliation you yourself love to dish out to others who don't bow to your authority."

"Shut UP!" Gill, infuriated, charged forward with a punch; but instead he got a backhand in the back of the neck, flooring him.

"How does it feel, Gill, to be fighting someone who is your fighting superior?" asked Ryu calmly. "Let me tell you what makes us so different: While you fight with dark motives, my motives are pure. And, ultimately, evil never triumphs over good. That's as simple as it gets."

Gill slowly got up, his face filled with rage. "Why...why you..." he snarled. "You think you're such a big shot, don't you? Well, guess what? I've still got a few things to teach you! _En garde!"_

He jumped back a step, charging up his chi as he did. Almost immediately as he landed, he sprinted forward with a flying double-kick to the face, performing this maneuver four times in a row. Ryu jumped back to avoid the first three sets of kicks; then, on the fourth go, he stomped into the ground and executed a powerful Shoryuken, connecting with Gill's chest and knocking him away.

"Oh-ho-ho!" Gill started to laugh, getting back up slowly. "Now I see what you're doing. By getting me angry, you force me to lose my cool so I can do something stupid. Well, I was angry before, but now that I'm calm again, you are going to PAY for all your insults." He cracked his knuckles. "Now...I'm going to break you."

The two warriors stood in their respective stances, their energies swirling about their bodies. Neither made even the smallest move, watching each other, scrutinizing each other. Each knew that the other would eventually have to make a move. And each was waiting to see which of them would be the first to attack.

Then, at the exact same moment, they both attacked.

Charging forward at each other, their fists struck together and stuck, the immense force of energy trapped in the middle. Struggling, neither fighter could release that trapped energy. Then Ryu brought his other arm forward and with both hands summoned a Hadoken that slammed into Gill and sent him flying back. Gill managed to catch himself and keep from falling, but as he regained his footing he grabbed his hand, screaming in agony. Looking at his hand, he was shocked to discover that the flesh was torn in strips, and it was bleeding.

"Impossible! How could you have done something like THIS!" he yelled, grimacing in pain.

"It was the result of the energy that was trapped in between our fists," Ryu explained. "I merely used a Hadoken blast to help release that energy. You know the rest."

Gill stood up, his hand hanging and trembling at his side. Now he was really in trouble, he realized. Without this hand, the power and full effect of the Meteor Storm would be cut in half, and any attempt to use this hand now would only serve to cause him more agony. Only one thing to do, he knew. He stood up straight and closed his eyes - and then next thing he knew, he got kicked in the face by Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. "Oof!" he grunted as he fell back.

"Really now, do you honestly think I'll just LET you do your Resurrection technique again, Gill?" asked Ryu, standing back in his stance again. "You've managed to do it twice in this fight now, once because I let you...but you won't be doing it again. Using your Resurrection ability only proves how weak you truly are."

Gill stared at him out of bloodshot eyes. "What...did you _SAY!"_ he barked.

Ryu closed his eyes momentarily, powering down. In a moment his hair and eyes changed back to their normal brown color. "All said and done, Gill, history is just repeating itself here," he said quietly. "In fact, as much as I'd hate to admit it to myself...you're not much of a challenge to me anymore. You and I have pitted our individual strengths against each other, and you have lost. Now it would be a waste of my time to even continue to fight you." He turned to go. "My friends are waiting for me now. I must go to them."

Gill stood there, watching as Ryu started to walk away from him. _I...have lost...again? Again, to him...?_ He shook his head defiantly. _No! I have NOT lost yet! This battle has exhausted me somewhat, and my right hand is now useless...but..._ He looked down at his left hand, the hand that was still good. _I have enough energy left to do something to at least defeat him. He's taken quite a bit of damage himself, no matter how much he may deny it! I will win this battle yet! And..._ He narrowed his eyes in determination, and as he did his chi level started to rise again. "Ryu!" he called.

Ryu did not answer, but he stopped in his tracks.

"There's one thing...that you're wrong about," said Gill, holding up his left hand. "I don't need to use the Resurrection technique to prove my strength. I still have a few things left to do to you! Like this!"

Suddenly, fiery energy shot up in his hand, and he formed it into a fireball, hurling it at Ryu. To his surprise, Ryu teleported out of harm's way, and the fireball went harmlessly by, missing its target completely. Furious, Gill threw fireball after fireball at Ryu, who kept using his teleporting skill to avoid them one after another. Finally, Gill powered up an even larger ball of flame and hurled it at his target. This time, though, Ryu didn't try to teleport away, nor did he even try to block; instead, he tapped into his chi energy, powering up and altering his physical features once again. As the fireball came in close, Ryu merely used one hand to knock it away from him into the wall nearby. Gill saw this and was stunned.

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about, Gill," said Ryu. "I tried to tell you: You're no longer a match for me. Now, I'm only going to give you one final chance to surrender. If you don't, well...what'll it be?"

Gill stared at him. Hot anger burned in his eyes as he heard the vagabond warrior repeating almost the exact same words he'd used to Rose before killing her on the spot. As his rage built, so did his chi, until it was a massive ball of orange flame enveloping his entire being. _You...will...DIE...for...your...insolence!_

"Why, you little pest..." he growled aloud. "So, you think I'm going to give up just like that? Well, guess what? I still have one last technique that I've already introduced you to, and this time I'm going to put every last ounce of chi that I've got left into it! And this time I will use that technique to kill you!"

At that moment even more flames burst around him, followed by and mixed with an icy wind surrounding his body. "And believe me, Ryu - THIS technique doesn't need two hands to do the full extent of damage that it can do!" Gill gloated.

Ryu looked at Gill, and a smile played on his mouth. "So...you're going to use your Armageddon Fist one more time, huh?" he asked. "Well, personally, Gill, I was actually kinda hoping you'd use that technique, for a very special reason." He stood with his fists at his sides, and those two fists became charged with blue energy. "And to amuse you a little more," he continued, "I won't even try to teleport out of the way this time - that would be too easy. I'm going to break the Armageddon Fist...just like I broke Bison's Psycho Crusher all those years ago."

Gill laughed upon hearing this. "And just how do you think you'll do that?"

At that moment the dictator suddenly broke into multiple images of himself once again, circling the room and swarming around Ryu while still talking. "If you weren't able to find the real me among all these mirror images the first time, just how do you intend to stop me this time? And none of your petty techniques will be able to stop the full force of my Armageddon Fist, not even your fireball technique! So you may as well just let yourself take the full force of my attack, because nothing you try will help you now!"

Ryu looked down at his fists, still charged. "Actually, Gill...I still have one technique that I haven't even tried yet. But that one technique will be enough to defeat you."

"Really! I'd like to see THAT happen!" Gill laughed. "Now, enough of this! Die!"

Suddenly Gill came at him from one side, his entire body spinning and his left fist held out in front as he performed his Armageddon Fist. "Die at the hand of Gill!" he yelled.

What happened next took place in a heartbeat, yet the whole thing seemed to take place in slow motion.

Even as Gill came down on him, still Ryu didn't move, his fists still charged with energy. _What the hell is he up to?_ Gill wondered to himself.

"GOT YOU!"

"What?" was all Gill could utter as Ryu suddenly turned to face him, bending low in the stance to perform the Shoryuken - but the dictator did not at all expect what happened next. For Ryu then hit him once with an uppercut, then quicky hit him with another, and then another. Then, suddenly, Ryu's fists became engulfed in a blinding light as, with lightning speed, he delivered numerous punishing blows to his opponent. Every single one of the blows connected, hitting Gill in the midsection, chest and face. On the final attack, Ryu's fist glowed with even more power as he went into a thunderous Shoryuken; he flew high into the air as the final three hits connected, and on the very last hit the light seemed to form into the shape of a dragon, ripping through Gill's chest. The full force of the chi used in the attack overwhelmed Gill, and he howled in pain as he took the full force of the blows, unable to block or counter in any way at all. The last hit also sent him flying, slamming into the wall and landing him on the floor, hard.

Ryu landed and spun to face Gill's crumpled form, his body all torn up from the attack. "But...I don't...understand...what...did you..." Gill sputtered, coughing up huge quantities of blood in the process.

"That was the final, true succession technique of Master Gouken's school of Ansatsuken Karate," said Ryu. "It is the total opposite of the evil side of Ansatsuken, the Shun Goku Satsu. This attack determines the fate of the one who is exposed to its force. If you are pure of heart and your intentions and actions are good, you will survive the technique. If your heart is otherwise...well, I think you know."

Gill was now doubled over, his face showing untold agony.

"This technique came to my mind all during our fight," Ryu explained. "During the battle, my long-dead master came to me in a vision, and told me that there was another way to become a true Ansatsuken master without using the Shun Goku Satsu and turning to evil. That was when I finally saw it in my mind - the suffering that people had endured because of evil; and that was when I saw that if I turned to evil myself, that the same would happen to those I care about. As I vowed then and there to continue striving to be a true warrior without submitting to my dark side, that was when this technique was revealed to me." He smiled a little. "This technique is called the Tenchuryuken...the Heavenly Judgment Dragon Fist."

Gill writhed. "You...I'll never...forgive you..."

"You won't have to," said Ryu, turning his back to walk away. "If your heart contains evil thoughts and evil intentions, the Tenchuryuken will cause you to explode from inside. Nothing will be left, nothing whatsoever. Just be glad that it'll soon be over." He walked off and toward the door. "Goodbye, Gill." And with that, he exited the room, leaving Gill to double over even more in his agony.

But as Ryu stepped out of the door, he suddenly felt a little buzz of energy near him. Looking back, he saw that the crystals in the room were sparkling and releasing energy like mad. _Holy crap...if Gill explodes, then - there's no time! I have to get out of here!_

"Huh?" Ken looked up. "What just happened? I felt a burst of energy...and now I'm sensing Gill's chi, but it's really weak..."

Chun Li looked up. "Did...did Ryu win?"

"He did! He really did it!" Ibuki squealed, jumping around hand-in-hand with Cammy.

"All right, love! Way to sock it to 'em!" Cammy yelled out, ecstatic.

Suddenly Ryu rushed through the door and down the stairs to meet the others. His hair and eyes were now back to normal, but a look of urgency was on his face. "No time to celebrate now!" he announced. "We have to get out of here!"

"Huh? Hey, man, what's the rush?" asked Guy.

"There's no time to argue!" Ryu snapped. "We must leave! NOW!"

At that moment a deafening explosion could be heard, and a solid shockwave and a bright flash of light knocked all of them to the ground, unconscious. Ryu tried his best to remain awake, but found himself slipping into darkness. _Is this how it's really going to end...?_ he wondered to himself as all conscious thought slipped away. _Are we really going to die here, after everything we've been through...?_

Guy's eyes slowly opened. _Where...am I?_ he wondered. As his vision came into focus, he became aware that he was holding Rose's body to him tightly. Looking around, he could see the other Street Fighters coming to, shaking their heads and groaning.

"Okay...who else never wants to go skydiving again?" Guile asked groggily.

"Ow ow owwwww...bloody hell, my head hurts," Cammy groaned.

Ken came to as well, tightly clutching Mel in his arms. "Oh, man...thank God I managed to save my son," he mumbled.

Chun Li, just waking up, shook her head as she surveyed the scene. Then a sudden realization struck her. "Hey! Where's Ryu?" she asked frantically.

"Huh? What?" asked Cody, sitting up nearby. "Isn't he here?"

The group then heard Alex's voice a bit far off. "Hey! Hey, guys, where are you? Over here! You have got to see this!"

Picking themselves up, they hurried around some bushes to find Alex, Ibuki and a still unconscious Ryu nearby. The former two were looking out to the horizon, where in the distance the castle could be seen, still exploding here and there as it sank into the sea. "Incredible," Ibuki murmured.

"Then - how'd we get HERE?" asked Cody, confused.

Alex pointed to a bit of rubble close by, in the water. "That was the front entrance to the castle, where we were when the explosion occurred," he told them. "The explosion must've blasted it - and us with it - here onto this island, and the stones broke our fall, probably saving our lives."

"But...I still don't understand," said Ken thoughtfully. "How'd such an explosion occur anyway? That just couldn't be possible, unless...wait...it occurred shortly after Ryu's fight with Gill, right?"

"Well, that's a start," Ibuki nodded. "Something must've happened to cause the explosion, something that happened right after the battle. It must've happened pretty close to Gill, too, because now I can't sense any trace of him anywhere."

"Neither can we," Guy confirmed.

"Well...the only way to know for sure is to ask Ryu when he wakes up," said Guile, looking down at the unconscious fighter.

Chun Li said nothing, but just kneeled down and cradled Ryu in her lap. At that moment he woke up, his first sight being her face. "Uhhh...am I alive...?" he asked.

She smiled. "Welcome back, Ryu." She then pointed to the horizon. "Look...that's the result of our efforts..."

Ryu looked and saw the castle, now sinking into the waters beyond. "It's so beautiful."

"But how - how did THAT happen? Ryu, did you...do something in there during your fight with Gill?" asked Ken.

"Yeah...an attack he couldn't handle. A force so powerful his own evil heart couldn't manage it, and that combined with the force of his own chi must've done the damage," said Ryu, sitting up slightly. He then went on to explain about the crystals that had been in the room, and how they had been powering both Gill and the castle. "When Gill exploded," he finished, "the crystals went off, too. That's why the blast was so much more powerful than it should have been...I think."

"Damn...what could it have been to be so powerful?" Ken wondered aloud.

Ryu smiled and pulled himself a little closer to Chun Li. "I'll tell you all about it, eventually," he said.

Chun Li then looked at him. "Ryu," she said softly, "back in the castle, you...you called me...did you mean it...?"

Ryu looked at her, and for the first time, he smiled. "Yeah."

She smiled back. "I'm glad." And with that none of them said anything more as they all watched the remains of the castle sink into the sea...and as rescue helicopters in the distance buzzed toward them.


	24. CHAPTER 22 The Fates Are Decided

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

CHAPTER 22

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., THREE DAYS LATER

"For the last time, you can't come in here! Out, out, out!" the cook ordered as he drove Ryu out of the kitchen.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I'm going to eat everything - I just want to sample a little!" Ryu protested, but in vain.

"Sampling IS eating, stupid! Now, wait!" And with that, the kitchen door was slammed in Ryu's face. Sighing and throwing his hands into the air, he gave up and went back to the dining room. The table was spread with a white cloth, and most of the fighters were seated there.

"Ran you out again, huh, Ryu? I told you your appetite would get you into trouble someday," Ken grinned as Ryu sat down.

"Oh, shut up," Ryu grumbled. "At least I can be consoled by the fact that they'll bring it out here eventually..."

"Which is why patience is a virtue, right?" Chun Li giggled, and everyone there laughed.

Seated at the table, from Ken's right, were Eliza and Mel; then Guile, Jane and Amy; Cammy and Alex; and finally Chun Li and Ryu. Everyone was laughing and conversing, and the smile on each face was a welcome sign after the craziness that had taken place in the last few days. Finally Ken stood up and tapped his glass with a spoon. "If I may have your attention, please?"

The room quieted down.

"First of all, I just want to say how grateful I am that we're all reunited with our families, and with friends who had been thought long-lost," Ken announced. There was some light applause at that.

Then he continued on a sadder note. "Also, I want us to remember that, even though we have all won the fight against Gill and his forces and have been reunited with our loved ones, that victory...comes at a heavy price." He lowered his eyes. "The one who brought us all together...Rose...unfortunately lost her life during that battle. For those of you who were wondering, that is why Guy, Cody and Ibuki are not here with us now...they are making sure that Rose will be comfortable in her final resting place."

There was some nodding of heads at the sentiment. Cammy, especially, was feeling most of the hurt, since she and Rose had been teamed up throughout the entire adventure.

"On a brighter note," Ken continued hopefully, "Rose may have died, but she hasn't died in vain. She has taught each and every one of us a valuable lesson...that no matter how weak or strong you may be, whether you're a Street Fighter or not, you'll always have some potential inside of you - potential to be the best you can be."

He turned to his left and indicated Ryu. "Of all of us sitting here, my main man Ryu has taken the value of that lesson to higher heights...by surpassing all of his boundaries and becoming the best he can possibly be," he announced. "As of this moment, Ryu is now, officially, truly deserving of the title of 'King of the Street Fighters'!"

While Ryu blushed, everyone applauded, and some whistled in appreciation.

"So, now what will you do, Alex?" asked Cammy.

She, Alex and Guile were standing around chatting. Guile's arm, still injured from his fight with Rolento, was in a sling, and his burned leg was wrapped in bandages; but other than that he showed no visible sign of injury. "Yeah, Alex," he said. "Will you be returning to the Special Forces?"

"No thanks, man. I've had it with danger...for good." Alex grinned. "I am going to go home to Manhattan, to be with my family. That is where I truly belong."

"And you, Cammy? What will you do?" asked Guile.

She shook her head. "My place is with MI-6," she told them. "They will be expecting my report on the Gill case...though I doubt any of them will believe what I have to say." She winked. "Of course, in case THAT happens, I have witnesses who'll help me testify, right?"

"Uh...maybe," Guile shrugged. "Well, I know for certain what my fate will be. Now that I've closed the door on my past thoroughly, I'm going to be right where I belong - at home, with my wife and daughter. Nobody's ever going to interrupt that again."

At that moment Jane and Amy walked up and patted Guile on top of his mane, with Ken, Eliza and Mel behind them. "Were you just talking about us, dear?" Jane asked.

"C'mon, 'bro,' time to pin the tail on the donkey! Your turn!" Ken grinned.

Guile feigned a look of dismay. "Oh, man, any game but THAT!" he protested as the group dragged him off. Cammy and Alex just looked on, trying their best not to laugh.

Outside, on the balcony, a much more serious discussion was going on between Ryu and Chun Li. "So...you're going back to Japan?" she asked him.

"I have to, Chun Li," Ryu answered. "I need to go back, so I can confront Akuma in one final match. At least now I won't have to worry about slipping to the evil of Satsui no Hado..."

"But still, he's a powerful warrior. There's no guarantee that you'll make it back alive!" Chun Li protested.

"I'm aware of that." Ryu gently stroked her cheek. "But one thing I know for certain: I will come back for you. After everything we've been through, I know now just where my heart truly is." He drew her in close. "With you, Chun."

Chun Li returned the embrace fully, tears in her eyes. "Good luck, Ryu. Keep your promise to me, okay?"

He smiled into her hair. "I always keep my promises, don't I?"

She smiled back. "Of course you do."

METRO CITY, U.S.A.

Guy kneeled silently before the shrine, praying and paying his last respects. All around the altar, incense was burning, and a small picture of Rose was hanging on the front. "Rose..." he whispered.

Just at the door to the shrine, Ibuki and Cody waited quietly, not uttering a word. They both knew that at this crucial point in time, Guy needed to be alone with his thoughts, yet at the same time he needed friends nearby. So they waited until he finished with his prayer and stepped out to meet them.

"Hey, man...I'm so sorry," Cody whispered, putting a hand on Guy's shoulder.

"Nah, it's all right," Guy replied. "You know, that night back at Chun Li's dojo, Rose told me that she had foreseen that she might die during the encounter with Gill. She requested of me that if that were to be the case, I should give her this type of burial, somewhere close to where I'd be. Of course, this place was the best place to do it."

"Oh, God...I feel so responsible," Ibuki lowered her gaze.

"Hey, don't worry about it," said Cody. "You were under Gill's influence, that's all. There's no way your code of honor would allow you to work for such a man of your own free will, right?"

She managed a smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Well, Cody...everything's finally back to normal, or as normal as it can get," said Guy. "The Mad Gear's been completely destroyed, and Gill's organization has been put to rest at last. And once again the world, including Metro City, is a place where we can all be safe."

"What will we do now, then?" asked Cody.

"That's simple," said Guy. "For one thing, we can help in the rebuilding of the city. And YOU, my good man, can go check on your wife and father-in-law. I checked on them yesterday, and they were just peachy, but asking for you."

"Yeah, I suppose I'll have to do that, indeed." Cody then turned to Ibuki. "And you, Ibuki? What are you going to do now?"

"Well...I've been missing from my clan for so long, they probably think I'm dead," said Ibuki. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to go back to them...though if I do, there'll be a lot of people who will be so happy to see me home safe and sound."

"That's right." Guy nodded.

"Just one thing I regret, you guys," said Cody. "I wish we could've joined the others at Ken Masters' house."

"It's better this way, trust me," said Guy. "I've seen Ryu eat, and you do not want to know how he can get at parties."

"Oh, gross - the world's strongest warrior pigs out?" Ibuki made a face. "I would expect that of either of you guys, not him!"

Cody and Guy laughed and scratched their heads. Then, quite suddenly, there was a shout from the street. "Hey, Cody! So this was where you were hidin', huh, you little runt!" Looking outside, the trio saw several gangsters on motorcycles, riding around the shrine.

"Cody, do you get into fights with every guy on the street?" Guy demanded.

"Not since Jessica and I were engaged - honest!" Cody insisted.

"Well, be that as it may, these punks are defiling holy ground," Ibuki said, flipping out her daggers. "What say we teach them some respect for the dead, huh, guys?"

Cody and Guy looked at each other and grinned, remembering old times back when they fought together on the streets of Metro City. "You got it!"

MT. FUJIYAMA, JAPAN, TWO DAYS LATER

_It's been two days since I said goodbye to everyone and came back here,_ Ryu said to himself as he surveyed the old dojo. _I'm just glad I came back. At last everything can be settled._

He was kneeling in the dojo, facing the shrine he and Ken had erected in memory of their master Gouken, twenty-two years ago. It was inside this very dojo that Gouken had met his end at the hands of Akuma, shortly after the first Street Fighter tournament. It would be here, too, that the final battle would be fought.

This battle would decide the true master of Ansatsuken once and for all time.

As Ryu meditated, he thought about the power his techniques had gotten since he'd tapped into that hidden well of pure, untainted energy within himself. _I have you to thank for it, Master Gouken. The questions you asked us all those years ago have finally been answered in my heart._

He thought about each individual move he had in his arsenal. The Hadoken...the one move he had spent many years trying to perfect. He had done so to a degree, as he had increased the power of the Hadoken with each fight. He now had different variations of it - the normal fireball; the Shakunetsu Hadoken, or flaming fireball; the Arashi Hadoken, or Storm Surge Fireball, which he could throw while airborne and could also throw two of, and which he'd learned during his fight with Gill; the Shinkuu Hadoken, the much more powerful version of his normal fireball; and the Denjin Hadoken, the strongest of his fireball attacks.

His thoughts then wandered to his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, or Hurricane Kick. He had always been able to knock opponents down with one hit from this attack, but now that he had full control of it, he could juggle an enemy three times with it before knocking them down. The Shinkuu version of this attack was a vacuum, pulling enemies into its powerful gale and dealing massive damage to them.

He thought of his second kicking technique, the Joudan Sokutou Geri, or Upward Sword Leg Kick, which had been practiced and mastered in recent years; but already he felt as if it was one of his regular moves. Then his thoughts turned to the Ashura Senkuu, the teleport that had always been part of Akuma's repertoire, and one of the moves he'd learned off-hand during his fight with Gill. _I actually don't feel any different when I use it,_ he mused. _I'm glad I did learn it, though - it saved my life in my fight against Gill._

Finally his thoughts wandered to his Shoryuken, or Dragon Punch. Ken had achieved mastery of this particular attack, true, but all the same it remained one of Ryu's trademarks. He had thought up until now that his more powerful version of the attack, the Shin Shoryuken, was the pinnacle of his power, and he'd thought so for years. _Seems I was wrong, after all._

Then his thoughts turned at last to the Tenchuryuken. _Heavenly Judgment Dragon Fist...it's supposedly the light-side version of the Shun Goku Satsu...and it packs so much destructive power within it...and yet...that destructive power only affects the evil-hearted...for anyone else it wouldn't be much different than if I hit them with one of my regular attacks...still, that immense power was enough to destroy Gill's castle...I need to be careful..._

Suddenly he tensed. He was not alone any longer. An evil presence was there with him, and he knew all too well who it was. "Akuma."

"So...you have returned, have you?" the demon asked. "I am glad, Ryu. You proved yourself well in your last battle."

"So...you were there, then, just as Guy told me?"

"I was. And although I did not get to actually see your fight, I felt immense destructive energy from you. Well, time to put that energy to the test."

Ryu stood up and turned to face Akuma. "Not here. This is a sacred place. It's witnessed enough violence already."

Akuma nodded. "Very well, then. Meet me out in the field in fifteen minutes. And..." He grinned sharp teeth. "I expect you to be at your maximum power once you're ready to fight. Well, I'll see you there." And he teleported away.

Strangely enough, Ryu didn't feel any anger or hatred toward Akuma anymore. _Is that because...the Satsui no Hado no longer exists in me...? _He shrugged._ Well, no matter now._

In minutes both warriors were facing each other, on the grassy plain just half a mile away from the dojo. "At last...we can finally finish our fight," said Akuma.

"Indeed," replied Ryu.

"Although, I do not understand something," said Akuma, his face holding a puzzled look. "Why is it...that I do not detect anything of Satsui no Hado coming from you? Instead, I feel...a different power...power that could yet be equal to mine..."

Ryu shook his head. "I received this power in a vision...from my master...your brother."

"Is that right?" Akuma raised an eyebrow. "Well, it matters not. But at least I can be glad of one thing - that at long last, we can fight as equals...even if you will never become like me."

Ryu readied himself. "Show me."

Akuma smiled. Suddenly, as lightning crashed and the sky turned dark, the wind howling across the plain, black flames surrounded his body as his hair and eyes slowly changed color, from red to gold. Even his gi changed color, as well, from black to purple. "This is my true form, Ryu," he announced. "I am now Shin Akuma!"

Ryu did likewise, powering up his energy to its maximum. Blue flames coursed all around his body, with flashes of small white lightning. His hair and eyes, just like in his fight against Gill, transformed from brown to blue and yellow respectively. "And this is my ultimate power, Akuma," he answered. "Call me...Setsuna Ryu."

Akuma grinned widely. "I see...then, there is no need for us to say anything more now. Now, let us allow our fists to do the talking."

Ryu nodded his agreement. "Let's do it."


	25. EPILOGUE Only the Stronger Fighter

**_GILL'S REVENGE_**

A fanfic by neomage

(DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all characters therein are trademarks of Nintendo and Capcom.)

EPILOGUE

MT. FUJIYAMA, JAPAN

The two warriors stood in identical stances, their energies coursing all around their bodies. Each knew that the ultimate clash was about to begin. And each knew that he would now hold nothing back. Only one of them would walk away from this confrontation now.

Then, they charged.

Akuma attacked first, charging forward with a roundhouse kick to the chest. Ryu blocked and countered by grabbing Akuma's leg, then tossing him over his shoulder. Akuma flipped and landed on his feet, though, and immediately teleported forward. To his amazement, Ryu teleported, too, and came around him, at the same time firing off a Hadoken blast. Caught off-guard by such an unexpected maneuver, Akuma took the fireball in the back and went sprawling.

"Well done, young Ryu," he commended his younger opponent as he got up. "Where did you learn that?"

"Just a little trick I learned on my own," said Ryu.

"Humph. Well, come on. Show me if you have any more tricks up your sleeve!"

With that Akuma teleported again, this time going backward. Ryu stood his ground, unsure what sort of trick the demon might try to pull on him. His suspicions were confirmed when, quite suddenly, Akuma jumped high into the sky and shot two fireballs at him, then immediately came down into another attack, his foot pointing straight downward in a head-kick.

Cupping his hands at his side, Ryu charged up energy, intensifying it. _"Denjin Hadoken!"_ he yelled as he released the blast upward. It cancelled both fireballs and hit a surprised Akuma right in the face, knocking him down.

Akuma got up, rubbing his chin, and grinned. "Interesting...very interesting...but now, it's my turn!"

He stomped one foot into the ground as his chi blazed around him, then released some of his energy into his fiery Messatsu Gou Hado fireball. It came at Ryu so fast that he had no choice but to jump over it - but as he did so, he got caught in the stomach as Akuma's Gou Shoryuken hit him three times. Landing, Akuma immediately performed another attack, the Messatsu Gou Shoryu, moving in three consecutive Shoryuken attacks. Ryu got nailed nine times in that attack, and he fell to the ground.

Akuma wiped the sweat from his brow. "Surprising...it's the first time in a long time that I have had to really try like this, and work up a sweat," he commented. "You truly are impressive, Ryu."

Ryu got up, wiping blood from his nose. "This battle is really starting to get interesting, I dare say," he remarked. "Shall we continue?"

"Let us proceed."

Both of them at once shot up and forward, each performing his version of the Hurricane Kick. Their legs got inter-tangled as they kicked at each other, spinning madly as they did. Finally they broke apart, landing two feet apart, and regarded each other.

_The whelp has gotten stronger, indeed,_ Akuma mused to himself. _I will need to try a little bit harder if I want to win._ He charged up energy in his fists, then jumped up into the air. He came back down in a rush, his fist pointed directly at Ryu.

_I know that attack,_ the young fighter realized. _That is the Kongou Kokuretsu Zan - the Continent-Destroying Vajra Slash! If that touches, I'm finished!_ Grabbing at some of his energy, he shot upward as he performed his second-strongest technique, the Shin Shoryuken. His fist connected with Akuma's, and the immense energy got trapped in the middle. Sparks of lightning shot out from their fists as the two warriors struggled against each other.

_Only one way out of this,_ Ryu knew. Drawing his other hand back, he summoned up energy and fired it off in a powerful Hadoken. To his shock, at the exact same moment Akuma did the exact same thing, and the resulting explosion knocked both of them out of the air and to the ground.

For a long moment, neither fighter could get up, as the blast had taken quite a lot out of both of them. The strain of the battle was starting to tell on both of them, made evident by the way their chests heaved as they breathed heavily. Their gi jackets were gone, scorched to ashes by the impact of the blast. Smoke rose up from their bodies, telling of the immense power of the Hadoken blasts they'd delivered to each other.

Slowly, simultaneously, the two warriors got up. "Most impressive, Ryu," Akuma said. "Never have I had a challenger as entertaining as you are now."

"I wish I could say the same, but...well, I've had many rivals over the years," said Ryu. "And all of them were very strong."

"Good. It would serve as training for you."

"It has."

For a moment, neither warrior moved a muscle as they struggled to catch their breath. Then, very quickly, Akuma charged up energy and fired another powerful Messatsu Gou Hado. Again Ryu jumped over it; but this time, just as Akuma prepared to use his Shoryuken, he got the shock of his life when he saw two fireballs hurtling down at him. _Impossible - that's MY move!_ He jumped out of the way quickly, but still got the effects of the aftershock and was thrown back.

Ryu landed and wiped his brow. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

"No...not at all." Akuma got up and cracked his neck. "Well, young Ryu, it seems that you and I are equals indeed, in terms of everything. Strength...speed...endurance...special powers...neither of us is stronger than the other. Yet...there is something that drives you, something that gives you your incredible power. I am curious to know what it is."

Ryu looked at Akuma for a long time. "It was the love and trust of my friends."

Akuma raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"You see, Akuma," the other fighter explained, "I fight because I want to protect those around me who need protection. You, on the other hand, you fight only because you wish to get stronger. For a long time I was the same way...that is why I was susceptible to the power of the Satsui no Hado."

Akuma's eyes narrowed.

"I am ruled by thoughts and emotions that are filled with pure good," Ryu went on. "But you...all your life you have been led down the wrong path by your ambition. It was ambition that caused you to give up your soul for the sake of power. It was ambition that made you kill your father and my master. And it has been ambition that has made you stalk me for these last twenty years. But now your ambition will come to an end."

Akuma laughed loudly. "And who will bring it to an end? You? I beg to differ."

Ryu chuckled. "Well, we'll just have to see what happens, huh?"

Akuma scrutinized him. "Tell me, Ryu - if your power has increased in this magnitude, then that possibly means that you may have found a power that can rival my Shun Goku Satsu. If so, I am interested to see it."

Ryu shook his head. "If I show it to you, Akuma, it'll mean your demise."

Akuma shrugged. "Oh, well...it will simply mean that my years of wandering this earth looking for the ultimate challenge will have finally come to an end. Already you have proven yourself able to withstand or counter many of my attacks...now, let the final attack be thrown. Only the stronger fighter will leave this battlefield today."

Ryu nodded, sealing the decision. "Let's do it, then."

Once again, the two ultimate rivals stood in their fighting stances. Neither of them dared even to blink. Time seemed to stop right there as the two warriors gathered energy to perform the final attack. Dark energy swirled around Akuma; light energy coursed around Ryu. Both of them kept their eyes locked on each other. And both were thinking the same thought, on the same wavelength.

_Only..._

_Only the stronger fighter..._

_Only the stronger fighter will..._

_Only the stronger fighter will leave this battlefield today._

And at that precise moment in time, they both commenced their final attacks.

They moved simultaneously, in perfect rhythm. Both warriors began to levitate and teleported toward each other. Both men's fists were shining with chi; Ryu's being blue-white, Akuma's being reddish-black

They got closer to each other.

Closer...

Time seemed to slow down the closer they got to executing the finishing blow.

And then...

A bright flash of light filled the entire field for half a mile in radius, and stayed constant for more than fifteen seconds. The light was so bright, even sunglasses would not help anyone who looked directly at it. And as that light glared brighter and brighter, several sounds of fists hitting against flesh could be heard...and then stopped altogether.

But if anyone were able to see into that light, what they would have seen would have been called unbelievable.

Akuma barely had one hand on Ryu's shoulder. His other hand was curled into a fist, aimed at Ryu's heart. Ryu, however, had one hand in front of his chest, palm up and facing outward, cupping Akuma's fist. His other hand, also curved into a fist, was pressing in against the flesh surrounding Akuma's heart.

But what would have been more surprising was the conversation going on between the two at that moment.

"Ryu...so this is your ultimate attack...truly it surpasses even the Shun Goku Satsu..."

"Indeed."

"Such power...and yet there is simply no trace of evil energy. You have really come far."

"I have."

"So...could this have been the path I could have walked, had I not sold my soul to the demon within all those years ago...?"

"Perhaps."

"...what...is this technique, anyway...?"

"Tenchuryuken. Heavenly Judgment Dragon Fist."

"I...see...so this is...the power...you used to...defeat Gill..."

"It is."

And, for the first time in many years, Akuma smiled...he smiled a genuine smile. "So...it's come down to this...truly, heaven's judgment has come for me."

"Don't think of it like that. The demon within you is the one that is feeling the agony of Ansatsuken's power. As for you yourself...your soul will be freed from the torture you have suffered all these years."

Akuma nodded. "Then...so let it be."

And then the bright flash exploded into a million sparks, as Ryu shot up into the air, in the aerial pose for the Shoryuken, as Akuma flew several feet up and away. The light then consumed Akuma, homing in on his body, forming into the shape of the shining dragon and wrapping itself around him and going through him, setting him ablaze. As it did, the demon spirit inside his body shrieked in agony and evaporated, as did his body.

And Shin Akuma was no more.

Ryu slowly sank to his knees, his energy aura fading as his hair and eyes returned to normal. Lying nearby, he noticed, were some beads. The beads Akuma had always worn around his neck. Taking them up, he looked at them with a sense of regret, and at the same moment an aura of peace washed over him. "Akuma..." he whispered. "Finally, you can rest."

He got up and turned to go back to the dojo. The beads were going to be placed right next to Master Gouken's shrine. Akuma had, after all, been the master's brother at one point. And Akuma himself had been a formidable opponent. And as Ryu made his way back to the dojo, a new resolve entered his mind. _I will continue to be the best I can be...and I will remain the way I am._

And at that moment, the sky cleared up to reveal the sunrise in the distant mountains.

BEIJING, CHINA

Chun Li sat forlornly at her desk, the mountain of paperwork before her. It didn't matter anymore, though. None of it did. She was still waiting for Ryu.

_He will keep his promise. He always has, and he always will._

She remembered how he'd promised to help her, back in the second Street Fighter tournament, by taking on Bison in case she couldn't herself. And he had. Then, she remembered the most recent battle with Gill, when he'd promised her he would come back. And he had kept that promise, too.

_Oh, Ryu..._ She sighed and buried her face in her hands. She didn't even acknowledge when the door opened and someone stepped in.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you the master of this dojo?"

_That voice...could it be...?_ She slowly looked up, and there he was. White gi, red headband, duffel bag over his shoulder. Ryu.

A flutter of happiness filled her heart, washing away all the bad memories of the past and the loneliness she'd been suffering. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Slowly she got up and walked around her desk to face him. "Is everything all right now, Ryu?" she asked softly.

He smiled and touched her cheek. "It will be, Chun Li. It will be."

They stood there looking into each other's eyes for the longest moment. Slowly, little by little, their faces got even closer, and their eyes closed.

_This feels so...natural. So right to do,_ Ryu mused to himself as Chun Li's lips touched his own. _She deserves some measure of happiness. She's all alone in this world...just like I've always been._

At length they gently broke away from each other. "I...am a little weary from my travels," he said quietly. "Do you have a room where I may stay...for at least a year or two?"

She smiled sweetly. "Of course. This is your home...away from home...now and forever."

Ryu nodded his consent. Chun Li then took him by the arm to lead him to his room. "By the way, Ryu," she said, "how was Japan?"

"Well, I'll tell you all about it," he replied. "Just as long as you can manage to keep me here comfortably. As Ken would testify, I've got a rather big appetite."

"I think I can live with that. Oh, and Ryu...?"

"Yes?"

"Please...call me Chun."

**_THEEND_**


End file.
